Good Cop Bad Cop
by wordbombs
Summary: As Light Yagami begins his fated march towards his own demise, L steps in to save him from himself. But the darkness surrounding Light goes deeper than L knows. Will he be able to save Light from himself or will he be pulled under by Light's darkness? AU
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: If I owned DN, Mello would never have worn a shirt. Never. Not once. No shirts, ever.

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_Spring 2007, To Oh University_

Light was staring out the window of his Econ lab, letting the role of conversation flow and ebb around him as he watched younger students cross the campus at blinding speed. It was drizzling outside, and Light was mildly amused by watching the various falls and mud slides that the younger students were getting themselves into. He watched as one particularly speedy student with an overly large backpack settled on his thing shoulders took a spectacular dive into a mud puddle. Light allowed himself one small snort, before glancing down at his watch to see that his self-allotted 'mental break' time was over.

He sighed as he turned back to his already completed lab report. This class was absolutely inane, an obscure required class by his degree that neither intellectually stimulated Light, nor held any relevance to his future career plans. It was this sort of requirement that had turned Light off of his college experience starting the second term of his freshman year, and the academic ennui had stalked him ever since. He hadn't let his grades drop though, and was expected to graduate top of his class- again. Light didn't think he could fail if he tried at this point; it was just too automatic for him to be the best, both for himself and for his professors. Light was willing to be they hadn't actually read one of his term papers in years, instead just glancing at him name and the large amount of pages with minuscule type and writing an 'A' on top. He pushed his paper forward as the class assistant walked past him for collection and he indulged the other man with a small smile of shared pain. The assistant was actually more Light's speed than the professor, and the two had shared a number of conversations on macro-economic theory outside of class without the restrictions of the other students' knowledge over lunch which for both Light and the T.A. followed this lab. The man was relatively brilliant, and young enough to not be caught up in his own academic ego, making him a challenging verbal sparring partner for Light. He was also the key reason Light was now contemplating a graduate degree, perhaps even abroad.

Light had always known he was destined for the NPA- to become one of Japan's bravest just like his father. But recently he had been questioning the time line of that destiny, wondering whether the minimal increase of his NPA salary from an additional degree would be worth the time and money spent getting another degree of higher accolade. He knew his father disapproved, but Light could use the additional education and time to himself before tying himself down to a detective's life. He had been bitterly disappointed with his undergraduate experience so far, but from his research, it seemed graduate school would be much more fulfilling. Light twirled his pencil in his fingers, glancing back out of the window. The rain had only increased, meaning Light would probably have to stick to the small café located within the econ building for lunch. Lovely.

As the bell rang to end the period, Light stood and stretched, glancing at the TA. He sent Light a small smile, but shook his head as the professor of the class talked his ear off about something or the other. So Light would be dining alone on poorly prepared Western-style chicken salad today then. Lovelier.

He exited the classroom in the thick of the rush, and let the crowd carry him forward to the over-packed café at the north end of the building. Ordering the chicken salad and a cappuccino, he used a few well placed smiles and eyebrow raises to secure himself a chair alone in the corner, sliding into a red vinyl chair and wincing as it made that unpleasant squelching sound. Pulling out his laptop, he began to search once again through graduate schools online, quickly running through his top list of possibilities. It was a pointless exercise, he'd long ago memorized the information on all of his top schools, but looking at the glossy online portrayals soothed Light. He tapped his fingers idly against the sticky table top, contemplating that he needed to begin the application process soon. It was the end of his junior year and he had all of his scores in, international and otherwise, so now all he needed were easy to come buy professor recommendations and a lot of essays. Light was lucky that To-Oh had been a forerunner in transitioning to the traditional two semester system used throughout the rest of the world, so that making the switch to another country's graduate school wouldn't be too hard. The switch had happened his sophomore year, and Light had immediately liked it better for the freedom it offered him. This past summer he had toured the United States, taking in different universities and monuments with all the money his parents had saved for his college education that Light had not used due to his extensive scholarships. It had been wonderful and invigorating, and Light was looking forward to the end of this semester so he could continue his solo adventuring in Europe this time. He glanced back at the Oxford page. Maybe…

Light's cell phone went off with a soft trill and he frowned, staring at it. Light was popular, but he was not social. He rarely gave out his private line, relying instead on email for his social communiqués. As a matter of fact, he could usually set his watch by the phone calls he received- one in the evening from his parents and sister at 7, and then a following one at 8:30 as Sayu launched into her homework. Light's recent move from his house into his college apartment had been rough on her academic standing. So Light stared confusedly at his phone for a moment before sliding it open and answering.

"Yagami ."

"Yagami, are you alone?" Light paused as he heard the hushed male tone. This couldn't be…No, no, they never called this early on tap day. It was only noon. Light hadn't expected this call until at least after he was done with Sayu's tutoring.

"Relatively."

"Go to the physics lab, you have 180 seconds." Light dropped his phone into his pocket, quickly shoved all of his things into the lap of one of his better known classmates' hands and ran. The physics lab was across campus, and he was going to need all of his precious seconds to get there. Sprinting across the rainy campus like a madman, Light didn't care at the gaping faces. They could go to hell, Light needed to get to that lab.

He slid into the physics lab, noting that it was closed supposed to be closed before slamming open the door and running in. Standing by the window grinning widely was the tennis club captain, a title Light was expected to take over next year. He strode over to Light, clapping a hand down on Light's shoulder and leaning forward into Light's face. Light took in the strange light the boy's eyes had, and felt him stomach flip over. It was time.

"Light Yagami….Kira, accept or reject?" Light's heart beat faster at the word, getting tunnel vision for a moment. He'd known he was going to get this since freshman year, but still. It was a moment of victory to be treasured, to be noted as significant against the dull background the rest of his life was reduced to thanks to school. Light nodded before opening his mouth, and saw the smile of his tennis team mate widen even further as he answered.

"Accept."

* * *

Light spent the rest of the day in a haze, listening less than usual in his lectures. He wondered who else among his class was going to get the tap, and surreptitiously began to glance at the most promising candidates spread out among his large lecture class on philosophy. There was the young head of the school's newspaper, he would definitely get tapped. Then there were a few legacies and sons of prominent businessmen that would most likely be part of Light's class of future Shinigami…

Light leaned back and relished the thought for a moment longer. He was going to be a Shinigami, a member of Kira, Japan's most prestigious secret society. Light knew he had always been destined for great things, but this was actual confirmation from those who mattered. Receiving the tap was like a validation for everything, more than entrance to To-Oh, more than the newspaper articles about him, more than the proud softening of his father's eyes every time the two talked.

More importantly, Kira was legend, and Light was going to be part of it. The Kira Society had been founded not long after To-Oh, only 6 years after actually. And from 1864, the society had run Japanese society from the prestigious halls of its famous Tomb, located on the outskirts of campus. The tall, spiraling building that only had a large ornate English 'K' emblazoned on the door was a source of rumors and intrigue for all of the students on campus. The Kira Society had many rumors attributed to it, but the most exciting were that they practically handpicked Japan's rulers, from the NPA director, to the government, to business CEO's. They had practically started all of Japan's intelligence agencies, and any member was sure to succeed through the society's connections. Light felt another tingling rush of adrenaline spike through him. He was going to be a Shinigami.

He saw the captain of the baseball team, Sasaki Akio and also a junior, glance back up at him from a few rows down. Light was relatively friendly with the other boy, but they kept their distance usually because the other boy was fond of partying whereas Light was fond of his solitude and perfect grades. Light arched an eyebrow and the baseball player smirked back, lightly tapping his shoulder. Light nodded back and the other boy winked at him. So it looked like Sasaki had gotten in as well, that was no surprise. He was one of Japan's best baseball pitchers with one of the fastest curve balls in the world. His family was also extremely rich, unlike Light's upper middle class standing. Light would have bet his trip money on Sasaki getting the tap, and Light disliked betting immensely. There was no glory in winning by chance.

Light glanced back up at his professor, and tried to pay attention and sate his racing thoughts. He would learn more tonight, and until then, he just had to wait.

* * *

Light was pulled from his bed, with a bag shoved over his head at exactly 11:33pm. Light was glad he had only been resting his eyes instead of actually going to bed, so that he was still dressed in a presentable outfit. He was then pushed into what he assumed Kira's Tomb at 11:46, according to Light's amazingly accurate inner clock. There he waited, head covered, as he heard shuffling and others being pushed into place beside him. As the stroke of midnight rang out from the university's bell tower, he felt his head covering lifted and Light immediately looked around, taking in the large room.

They were obviously in the antechamber to the Tomb's infamous Hall, and lined up on the wall where sport coats of the same make, and exceedingly nice velvet slippers with each of the eight young men's name written in a flowing script next to a set. Light slid his jacket on and slipped the slippers on, placing his shoes by the card with his name. He glanced down at the comfortable slippers, noting the fine quality and the golden thread that twinkled dully in the muted firelight that lit the antechamber. They were emblazoned with a golden English 'K' on the left foot, and a "S" on the other. Kira and Shinigami. Light had heard rumors that The Kira Society preferred English due to their connections with the secret societies contained within Britain, perhaps this was confirmation. He glanced at his other fellow juniors, noting that while a few where dressed in more casual nighttime attire, many had taken to over-dress for the occasion, probably lying awake in bed in their Chino's and leather loafers. It made Light glad that his normal dress was so well put-together, he didn't look to be trying as hard as the newspaper editor, who was now sporting a tie, even though Light had never seen him outside of jeans.

"Gentlemen, welcome." Light glanced up to where his tennis teammate and captain was speaking. Hiroaki was grinning widely at all of them, but spared a particularly bright smile for Light. "You know why you are here. You are the best of To-Oh, and therefore the best of Japan. You have been chosen for your unique combination of skills. Each of you represents something your class of Shinigami will need. You are to bond together over the next month until your seniors graduate so that you may carry on the Kira legacy. You are to know each other more intimately than your family knows each other, more intimately than your girlfriends know you. We are now your true family. Welcome home, boys." Hiroaki threw open the doors with flourish, and the stunned eight young men entered into the Hall. Light stared at the torch lit walls and paintings of Kira's most famous members, memorizing their faces. The light created by the flames was eerie, flickering along the walls in spurts, creating shadows and intrigue on the rough stone walls. The long rug underneath their feet was obviously old, but impeccably maintained, the oriental pattern showing a bit of French influence. Light looked on ahead, staring at the hooded figure that stood on an elevated podium at the end of the hall. Above them, similarly hooded figures stood on a balcony that ran the length of the Hall, each of them clutching a large black notebook emblazoned with white letters that Light couldn't make out.

"Future Shinigami's, welcome. You will call me Ryuk. I will be the guiding Shinigami for your journey into The Kira Society." The man pushed back his hood, and Light started. He was young, perhaps only a few years older than Light himself.

"My outside name is Mikami Teru. I am of the Shinigami Class of 2004. I will teach you the meaning of our society, our brotherhood, and you will learn your lessons well or face my displeasure." Light fought his urge to smirk at the dramatic proclamation. Despite his enthusiasm for the Society, Light was not a fan of theatrics. But still, the dark haired man had a flash in his eyes that showed he was exceedingly serious.

"You will now receive your Death Notes. Inside of them you will find our rules, our history, and our pride as a Society. You will not reveal the contents of these Death Notes to anyone, under any circumstances or you will face death. Remember gentlemen, the moment you said 'accept', you became one of us. Our laws are absolute, our rules are the ultimate guide. You will not break them, no matter what. You will benefit immensely from Kira, but only if you obey Kira, is that understood?" There were soft murmurs of assent from the young men, and slowly they were lined up as the hooded men descended down spiral staircases that were behind the podium, congregating behind 'Ryuk'. Light frowned as Hiroaki pushed him towards the back of the line, squeezing his shoulders for a brief moment.

"You are now in the order of importance for your class. The outgoing senior class has chosen your class Shinigami King for you, the one most deserving of the title. The Shinigami King of each class is the one that best represents what Kira values- intellect, discipline, determination, athleticism, and class." Light's stomach twisted funnily as he glanced up at the front of the line where Sasaki Akio stood. Though the other junior didn't have half the grades Light did, he was still easily in the top 5% of their class. And he often went toe to toe with Light for athletic awards, and had beaten out Light by making team captain a year earlier than Light, even as Light won the Spring Sports banquet's overall MVP award for the university's athletes at the end of their sophomore year. He was also the son of a well-known politician with various connects, most likely a Kira legacy. Not just that, but Light was standing at the _back_ of the line, behind a group of his classmates that were all easily within Japan's top income bracket. One part of Light knew that he should have been prepared for the class clash that was likely to occur when he was tapped, but it was still slightly infuriating. He wanted the prestige of joining Kira, but not at the insult to his own ego. He was Japan's finest after all, the top student in his class and the country for years. He didn't need Kira to survive, merely he wanted the connections because he was a student of practicality, and joining Kira was the most expedient way to reach his goals. But he would not be insulted or discriminated against because of his father's income. Though his father did not make as much as the businessmen who had sired those standing in front of Light, he still had plenty of influence as the NPA's chief- influence that would be important to Kira, as they were known for sometimes dealing in the underground and then becoming in need of Japan's police force's forgiveness.

"Your King is…" Light glanced up at Sasaki, who winked at him once again and then glanced at one of the hooded figures, who nodded slightly in his direction. Must be Sasaki's father then, Light decided. Light's stomach twisted again as the Mikami let the pause drag on. Couldn't they just get this over with? Sasaki had an unbearably smug look on his face, and Light was not fond of those who thought themselves above himself. The pause ended as Mikami's eyes met Light's.

"Light Yagami."

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**Author's Note**: So this is a bit of a short upload for me, but that's because this is the Prologue to the overall story, not an actual chapter. The main plot occurs several years down the line, but we will be revisiting Light's college years in flashbacks as the secrets among his class of Shinigami come forth. I know that this chapter doesn't tell much about what the main story will be about, but hopefully it gets you excited to read the rest of it.

A bit of background on the set up of this story: Kira is a secret society, and my version is a blend between traditional American college secret societies like the Skull and Bones and traditional Japanese secret societies that tended to be more nationalistic. You'll see the dynamics more as the plot is laid out, but remember-Secret Societies are for life, not just for college like fraternities and sororities. Most of the big stuff doesn't even happen until you're out of college, which is why this story is taking place when Light is older and an actual member of society.

As to how this will be different from my other fic, Tale of Two Death Notes, well, hopefully it's already obvious. There is a lot less humor in this piece, and a lot more plot and intrigue. Also, TTDN gives a lot more focus on a wider variety of characters, whereas this will be exclusively an L and Light show. Light is also going to be a lot darker in this fic, because he has had corrupting influences unlike TTDN, so for fans of Kira!Light, this may be more your speed.

As always, I love reviews. They make me write faster. No, seriously, studies have shown that for every review, I write at least 2 pages as soon as I get it. ;) So...please? Please review?

Thanks for reading!


	2. Cuff Links

Disclaimer- Don't own it. If I did, it would have been a very popular thriller gay porn.

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_October, 2011_

Light strode forward from the open elevator doors, entering into the muted office's reception hall as a bright electronic chime dinged to herald his arrival. His trademark tap soled shoes were silenced against the plush beige carpeting that ran throughout the expansive of the office suite, and as he walked forward down the hallway towards the end office, nodding at the typing secretaries as he went, they left slightly darker foot imprints as his feet turned against the grain of the carpet. He glanced at the walls, noting with a dull interest but without surprise that the artwork was in a new rotation; the last time he had visited the office there had been French impressionism on the walls. Now there was some modern artist that Light was unfamiliar with, the splatters of bright paint on canvas contrasting sharply with the gray silk covered walls that they were hung upon. Light continued down the hallway without inspecting the paintings further, he appreciated classic art for its aesthetic purposes, but modern had always seemed a practice in fruitlessness.

He passed the smaller and more familiar office door on his left that used to be his default destination and continued down the hallway to the very end where he found a purposefully intimidating and overly-large wooden door, complete with a tidy brushed metal plague that read out 'Mikami Teru- Partner' in simple and elegant kanji. He knocked once out of politeness and paused for a moment before taking the cold brass doorknob in his hand and turning it in to enter.

Teru was sitting at his desk, with a phone trapped between his ear and shoulder which he almost lost as he beckoned Light in and towards one of the light brown leather chairs that faced his expansive desk. Light noted that they were exceedingly lush as he sank down into one. Mikami spoke a few more brief words into the receiver, not bothering to conceal the edge of disdain that laced his voice. Hanging up, he turned to Light with the same grim expression.

"Light, so nice of you to finally join me." His voice was flat, neither damming nor welcoming, but Light heard the soft undertone of reproach that hid among the lowest timbres of Mikami's articulate speech. Honestly, it had only been a year or so.

"I've been out of the country Mikami, I rushed home from my very important case to see your fancy new office as soon as I could." Light let his fingers trail along the edge of Mikami's large glass desk, enjoying the cool and smooth texture that met his fingertips as he let his words fall down around them. Mikami's eyes followed Light's fingers for a moment before he leaned back in his own camel-leather leather chair, dark and glittering eyes meeting Light's without the usual obstruction of his glasses. Light had noticed them discarded on the desk next to the empty phone receiver when he had entered. Mikami's silence drag on, and Light knew he was weighing whether to continue to chastising Light for his poor friendship, or move on. Finally, Mikami snorted softly, a mere breath of a sound and Light knew he had been forgiven for at least the moment.

"Well, I'm glad that case is over. It was worrisome to our mutual friends." Light glanced again at the closed door, knowing full well that no one was outside of it listening but still feeling a vague flash of unease as they entered into tenuous conversation grounds. Leave it to Mikami to get straight to the point.

"I'm glad they're not worried, I have already said they have nothing to be worried about. Now, your present for becoming the youngest man to occupy this office in this firm's prestigious history…" Light reached down to pick up the bag he had subtly slipped into the room by pushing it gently with his foot while Mikami talked on the phone. A small chuckle met his efforts.

"Still sneaky Yagami? And you wonder why people worry about you." Light rolled his eyes at the reference, wondering why his brilliance at stealing J-University's mascot his senior year had been attributed to 'sneakiness' as opposed to the quiet and diligent planning that the feat had actually taken. No other Shinigami class had managed the feat in decades since the installation of very modern protective measures in the 80's that were constantly updated, and instead of reaping his proper praise, he had instead developed a reputation for being 'sneaky'. It was distasteful. It was also unfortunate, as Light was actually very sneaky and put it to good use professionally and didn't like his entire social circle knowing his hand before he played it.

"Just open it so I can drink it and therefore be able to stand being in the same room as you." Laughing now instead of his previous quiet anger, Mikami slid the bottle of aged scotch from the plain gift bag, eyebrows rising in genuine appreciation as he saw the date and name on the bottle. Light felt oddly smug at that. Maybe he should be exceedingly generous with his friends more often. Or maybe he should just call them when he vanished from the continent without a word for a year.

"Thank you, Light." Light merely nodded at the touched tone, and Mikami moved to get the Waterford crystal tumblers from the small table on the side of his newly expansive office. Pouring both of themselves a finger, they knocked it back like the old days, Light letting the fine burn seep down his throat and pool into his stomach warmly.

"Well, since you provided the alcohol, I suppose it's up to me to provide the food. I have a standing table at Chez Matsu Shoto during the work week, is that fine?" Light nodded and followed Mikami out of the room, idly wondering if the standing table had come along with making partner like the office.

They ambled out of the large attorney office into the cool and dim underground parking lot, both encased in a comfortable silence. Neither Light nor Mikami were particularly chatty men and they had been friends long enough to be able to stay silent and contemplative without worrying about offending one another. Mikami pulled out the keys to his car, a beautifully restored classic that Light had harbored some aspirations towards for a while, and slid into the white leather interior on the right side while Light slid in on the left. As Mikami started the car, Light's hand inched forward instinctively to turn the radio station on to the classics channel, the only station the two men could ever agree on. Light had long ago given up trying to dissuade Mikami of his preference for news stations, and he was also tired of the small smirk Mikami gave him as Light tried to justify his appreciation for popular culture's music.

"Have you heard from the Chairman recently?" Light glanced out of the corner of his eye at Mikami as he deftly pulled them out of the parking lot and into the bright and crowded Tokyo streets. Despite the fact that it was midday, the city was lit more by the neon signs and televisions that were draped across every skyscraper than by the sunlight that was filtering in through the ever-present layer of fog that cluttered Tokyo's air.

"I have. I spoke to him as soon as I returned from my last case." Mikami nodded in reply, fingers tightening somewhat on the wheel.

"It would seem then that we have a problem we must deal with." Light nodded, feeling a wisp of anxiety curl its way into his stomach. He had been looking forward to a pleasurable lunch with a longtime friend, not a lengthy affair of Council demands and intrigue delivered using Mikami as a mouthpiece.

"Apparently." Light bit out the word harshly, and he saw Mikami glance his way as they stopped at a red light. Light focused on the pedestrians crossing in front of him, watching as young students ran across the street to the bakery for their short lunch break. The cooler students, who appeared to be a bit older and more proactively dressed despite the mandatory uniforms followed at a slower pace behind them, and Light felt a sudden pang of nostalgia for his own school days when life had been simple and there had been no demands outside of studying.

"It's in our best interests to deal with it, Light." The statement rang throughout the car as they drove forward in silence and Light considered the words carefully. It was in their best interests, but still he blocked out thoughts on the actions needed to take care of Kira's current 'problem', finding all of the proposed solutions unpalatable.

The problem was simply the NPA. Recently they had begun to pay more and more attention to Kira's members, red flagging any business connections and political favors between the small group of Japan's select. It had been mildly amusing at first, but now darker insinuations were beginning to be made against the Society in increasing numbers and the Council was beginning to get anxious. And when the Council got anxious, Light was usually one of the first called in.

After all, his current station within the Public Security Intelligence Agency was one he held merely to handle the international interests and affairs of Kira. He had not been opposed to the work, and when Kira's council had assigned the task to him it had actually been a relief that they were not yet seeking to make him a prominent politician. So Light had gladly taken on the request and had been abroad on and off since his graduation, mostly connecting with other prominent men in similar secret societies in his host countries. He'd developed a delicate web of connections to benefit Kira and their hold over the economic future of Japan had grown even stronger through his work. It was not an effort he was going to let become futile just because the NPA had decided to focus on Japan's hardest working citizens instead of the real criminals.

"You have that 'I'm angry at the world' scowl on your face again, Light." Mikami's voice cut through Light's thoughts and he gave a narrow eyed glare at the other man who merely grinned back.

"Well I am. Every twenty years or so the NPA feels the need to stick its nose into our business when we created them! We sacrifice our own lives so that Japan can prosper and the only thanks we get for it is accusations and inquisitions." Mikami snorted.

"Of course. But that is never going to change until the general populous is much more educated. It is a burden we are destined to endure as the bringers of a new era. So it has been, so it will be." Mikami shrugged as though the matter was closed and Light was supposed to be appeased by the platitudes. He knew them well; of course, they were engrained into every Kira member. The idea of patience and quiet sacrifice for the greater benefit of Japan was one of the pillars of Kira's philosophy for their work. But that didn't mean Light had to be satiated by them, especially in light of this insult.

"I suppose the suggestion has been made that I transfer to the NPA." Mikami gave a curt nod.

"You suppose right."

* * *

_December 2011_

Light put the last of his boxes down, examining his new office. It was nicer than the one he had in the PSIA, but then again that office had been little more than a storage facility for all the time Light had spent in it. The walls were a bland beige color and the carpet a dull gray, no more than basic padding over concrete. There were faded spots on the walls where his predecessor had hung his diplomas and pictures that bothered Light with their incongruity. He seriously doubted he would be able to hide them as he had only one large diploma and no pictures or artwork that he would want to hang.

His desk, however, was more than satisfactory with its large surface and thick wooden construction. It was solid, traditional, built with quality in mind. Light was quite pleased with it and spent several minute rearranging his items around the computer monitor and printer already on it. There was a knock on the frame of his office and without looking up from where he was now rearranging the various wires under his desk, Light replied.

"Come in." Light heard footsteps and a small thump on his desk. Coming out from under his desk, he saw his father standing before him with a wide grin and a wrapped present in front of him and now on Light's desk.

"Father! I wasn't expecting you for another 20 minutes or so. Have you picked out a restaurant for this special 'Congratulations on coming to your senses' lunch?" Soichiro laughed.

"I have a few places in mind, but first your gift. I invited a few of the men on our team along to lunch and I know you hate me getting sentimental in front of other people, so I thought I'd give you this in private." Light curiously picked up the elegantly wrapped present, fingers caressing the royal blue wrapping paper for a moment before carefully deconstructing it. Inside there was a velvet box and Light opened it curiously.

Light stared for a moment, shocked by the small but beautiful cufflinks that lay inside. They were gold and deeply so, most likely 21 karat. There was a small English word written on the top of the satin inside and Light raised his eyebrows as he read 'Cartier'.

"Dad…these must have been very expensive." Soichiro reached forward and clasped Light on the shoulder, squeezing firmly.

"Well, you didn't let me buy you a new watch after graduating Tokyo University, so I figured it was my right to provide you with the next best thing. Congratulations son, I'm so proud of you. I just knew one day we would be working together and I wanted something special to celebrate that day." Light spared a brief glance down at the Rolex that encased his wrist and hid the small K tattoo topped by a crown that lay directly below the large face. When he had first received the watch at his Kira initiation ceremony along with the tattoo that identified him both as a member of 'Shinigami King' of his class, he hadn't been expecting that his father would be disappointed by his new accessory. He had apparently wanted to replace its former model, the watch Light had received at his 16th birthday, with a more grown-up version but toping a Rolex was well-beyond his family's means. Light had instead insisted that a much better present would be a down payment for his new apartment and his father had reluctantly acquiesced, after trying to weasel the information on how Light had obtained his new watch to no avail.

"Thank you, Dad. This means a lot." Light moved from behind his desk and hugged his father mechanically, feeling awkward by the emotive display. He father, however, squeeze back hard- obviously gratified by Light's reaction. Glad that the moment had passed, Light unrolled his pale blue sleeves and slid the cufflinks on, glad he was wearing a cuffed shirt for his first day. They really were beautiful, and Light had a strong appreciation for the finer things in life.

"So, we're meeting with the team then?" Light questioned as he and Soichiro walked down the hallways together, Light memorizing the details of his new building as they went, reinforcing the memories had already made and Soichiro waving to co-workers Light had yet to meet.

"Yes, I thought it would be good for the moral. We're a small unit, but that makes us all the closer and more efficient. Besides, my men want a chance to really get to know the son they've heard all about over the last 10 years." Light smiled a tight smile, wondering exactly how much his father had given away about him. He knew Soichiro was not a man to boast unnecessarily, but Light's accomplishments were rather impressive. However, for the time being it was in Light's best interests that the men not know exactly how successful he'd been at university if he wanted to earn their trust on the 'investigation' into Kira. It wouldn't do well to be suspected of being a member, after all.

Lunch had been a loud and casual affair at a local restaurant known for their teriyaki. Light had played nice with the other officers, while struggling to hide his contempt. These were supposed to be his contemporaries?

At least at the PSIA he had been surrounded by high levels of intelligence and specialization, so that even though he may have stood out as the best-rounded and preternaturally brilliant of his colleagues, they were still able to provide him with engaging and meaningful discussion. But after talking with his father's team, the only man that had stood out had been one Aizawa Shuichi. Light had at first been interested in the man, who was also on the more quiet side as Light was prone to be, but had quickly put him on the 'do not talk to privately' list after he had asked a few subtle questions about Light's knowledge of the Kira Society from his school years. Light has politely answered that he only knew the rumors he'd heard on campus, and moved on to talk to Matsuda whose silliness and overly loud manner quickly killed any deeper discussion.

Light was now headed to the exact Tomb of legend that he had denied detailed knowledge of earlier, eager to get his 'report' on his first day at the NPA over with. He strolled down the concrete sidewalk at a brisk pace, enjoying the swirls of autumn leaves that crunched under his feet as he went. Tokyo University really was a beautiful campus, and Light always immediately felt relaxed whenever he entered onto its grounds, or alongside them as he was currently. The Tomb was not technically allowed on school property, but it was as close as possible. Stone archways and wrought iron gates were passed as Light headed into the Tomb's grounds; the familiar hush falling over Light's senses as he walked toward the large wooden door that entered downward into the inner sanctuary of Japan's finest. The Tomb had been cleverly and purposefully placed near the most discrete section of the campus, ensuring the privacy of the members as much as possible. What was more, a former member of the Society- now long passed- had bought out all of the land directly opposite the Tomb and built stores alongside it that were made to close at 6pm, early for Tokyo. This further guaranteed that the members could enter un-harassed, though if really pressed there were also secret entrances built in throughout the campus. Glancing at his Rolex, Light saw that he had at least a quarter of an hour until he was expected, so he took his time slipping into his house shoes and jacket.

Walking up the stone spiral staircase that led up to the council's meeting room, Light composed his presentation and plan in his head. He was determined to be ready for any questions the council had for him, and he knew from experience that they would go every detail meticulously. As he reached the top, he heard angry lowered voices and paused. It was the Sasakis' voices floating softly down, Light could recognize Akio's timbre and the lower tone of his father. Light could only catch every other word, but they made no sense. There was a murmur of 'death', 'notebook' and 'again'.

"I'm not asking you to cover it up, I can do it my fucking self!" Akio's voice snapped out suddenly, startling Light by its clarity.

"That is false, as has been proven time and time again. I will again take care of this…discrepancy… but it will not happen again do you understand me? You are just lucky I am in charge of the Death Note." Their voices fell once again and Light was left to puzzle out exactly what had been said.

That Akio had something to hide was no surprise. Light had done some investigation after he had been chosen as 'King', wondering why it had not given to his infinitely better connected peer even if he lacked Light's genius. The digging had revealed a disturbing trend of behavior for the young heir, a string of mistreated girlfriends and several minor drug scandals that had been covered up by his father's influence. As small as the infraction were, it was obvious that Akio had been spoiled growing up in privilege as he had, something that had not gone unnoticed by the outgoing senior class that had instead chosen to fit the more talented and stable Yagami.

But what did 'in charge of the Death Note' mean? Was there to be a rules re-writing to favor Akio? Their constitution had stood unchanged for as long as they had been established, with only minor amendments to keep up with the times. Surely they wouldn't change…?

Light's train of thought was cut off as Akio descended, an angry scowl plastered on his cruel yet handsome face. It disappeared though the moment he saw Light standing with one foot on the next step, obviously about to ascend.

"Ah, Yagami. Here to tell all of the exciting going ons of the modern day policeman?" He followed up his greeting with a harsh laugh, eyes burning with the cold fire of dislike that he had harbored for Light since their first day in the Tomb.

"Yes Akio, those of us who contribute to Kira besides draining its funds on our failed business ventures are often asked to report on our duties. Now if you'll excuse me." Light moved to the right, intending to pass by Akio, but the man stood resolutely in his way. Akio leaned forward and Light stood his ground, refusing to be intimidated by the man. Light could smell the lingering scent of bourbon on his breath as he spoke and tried not to wince back as the alcoholic tinge hit his eyes.

"Trust me Yagami, you don't know the first thing about the real 'Kira', and you never will. King or not, I'll be chairmen in your stead." Light stared hard at the obvious threat, almost disbelieving what he had heard. The only way any member besides himself from their class could become chairmen was if he was to die and pass his title on to another member. Was that what Akio had planned for him whenever they grew to the age where they were in charge of Kira? Light knew the man had a deep dislike of him, but he had never known it was that malevolent. Still, it was better to find out such things now from an intoxicated Akio so that he could better prepare himself in the future. Besides, Light was hardly defenseless against an attack, no matter how much power Akio's familiar connections may hold. Light took a step up, turning his head to the left to speak directly into Akio's ear.

"Do you know exactly how long I could put you away for, Akio? I'm a policeman now, remember? It wouldn't do well to anger me." Akio chuckled and then let it grow into a roaring laugh.

"Really, Yagami? You think you could find anything on me? Much less to find me guilty? My last name is Sasaki, in case you had forgotten. No court would ever convict me." Light let a small smile ghost over his lips as he faced the other man.

"Who says I'd let you reach a court? Enemies of the state are handled quietly, often without even their closest relatives knowing. I could make it look like an accident Akio, and it would be state-funded and approved." Light reached out and began to re-tie Akio's loosened tie, slowly and methodically going through the movements as dizzy eyes watched him. "Not even your father could save you if you incurred my wrath, Akio. I'm very creative and much better connected on the right side of the law." He tightened the tie suddenly and sharply, relishing the sharp intake of breath Sasaki gave as he pulled the tie uncomfortably tight. "Now, run along." Akio gave him another angry glance, but it was now an empty anger, lacking fuel. He disappeared down the staircase and Light continued his ascent, filled with more confidence than ever. He knew somewhere that it was probably reprehensible of himself to gain so much satisfaction from causing another person's rage, but being part of Kira meant playing the game and Light was damn good at the game. He smiled as he entered the boardroom, and began to captivate his audience.

* * *

_March 2013_

L glanced down at the proposed cases before him, trying to find one that captured his interest on the homicide front. Mello was flipping through organized crime cases, his specialty, and tossing most of them into the trash. Near was settled besides Mello and was completing a puzzle instead of choosing a case of his own, blatantly ignoring the neat stack in front of him. L didn't even know where Matt was.

"This is pathetic; all of these are easily solvable! Why the fuck are policemen so incompetent these days?" Mello's harsh tones invaded the easy silence and would have annoyed L had he not agreed so much.

"Admittedly, we are in a bit of a slump- such things are bound to happen. We can't expect every criminal to be creative and intelligent after all. Unfortunately, such people often find fulfillment in legal activities." Mello chuckled, but L could tell he wasn't actually amused. L understood his frustration, out of the entire world it seemed at least one misguided person could choose to make things interesting for the detective and his team but so far luck was against them.

"I think you both need hobbies." Near's voice cut through as he held up his completed puzzle, a complicated piece that was composed of different shades of beige and extremely abstract in design. It was gorgeously intricate, a functional piece of art, and Near had finished it within a shadow box in appreciation of its value. Mello snorted.

"I already have a hobby." Near turned towards Mello with a frown.

"Getting laid is not a hobby, Mello." L turned around in his spinning desk chair to watch the pair, fully intending to be amused by whatever was going to happen to next. More than for their combined brilliance, L kept them around for this- their fights and the amusement L could always be guaranteed to draw from them.

"Maybe not to you Mother Mary, but for those of us whose balls have dropped it is a pleasurable and recreational activity. Done with enough frequency, it can certainly be considered a hobby. And trust me, I am quite the enthusiast." L snorted a bit. Arrogant ass though he may be, Mello was not exaggerating when he boasted of the frequency of his conquests. L hadn't known there were so many young and willing women in Wiltshire until Mello had turned 18 six years ago and begun tearing a path through them without the slightest regard for subtlety or decorum.

"You do realize that your constant need for physical affection and affirmation indicate a poorly developed ego and low self-esteem? Probably brought on by rejection by your peer or perhaps a parental figure." Near glanced pointedly at L, and Mello followed his stare. "Daddy issues don't suit you, Mello."

L raised his eyebrows, surprised. At times the bickering between Mello and Near could take a turn for the nastier and more personal, but this had to be a record breaker for least amount of time taken to get to a personal nerve. Mello, for his part, looked absolutely furious. L was beginning to suspect that instead of being treated to an amusing round of banter, he was going to end up stopping a fight. Ah, the joys of being the boss. Luckily, Matt chose that moment to finally show up and with his arrival, the bristling anger that had been rising in Mello slipped away.

"Sorry L, I know I know…I'm late. I just got tied up in this piece of code and…Whoa, what's with all the tension?" Mello shot a final glare at Near, but it was with the same controlled anger he usually showed towards the younger man instead of the dangerous fury he'd been close to before.

"Near's being an ass, nothing new. Hey, we don't have anything interesting here, want to go get fucked up and laid? L, want to join?" L just gave Mello a deadpan stare, not at all interested in joining Mello in his reindeer games against Near. "Fine then. Near, want to come?" Near almost looked shocked, which in and of itself was more of a reaction than L had seen the young man give, and he looked almost confused with himself as he nodded. "Good, get some real clothes on and we'll meet you at the door at 8. C'mon Matt, I want to you to help me with my bike." The three left, leaving L alone with the stack of unappealing cases and wondering exactly what Mello's plan was. Knowing him, he was probably going to get back at Near for the extremely personal slight in some passive aggressive way, playing off Near's weakness at social interaction. It was probably going to be a slaughter, and a few years ago L would have stopped it. Unfortunately, they were both grown men now and if Near insisted on baiting Mello, he'd have to deal with the repercussions. Not to mention, Near had never seemed to struggle in finding creative ways to get back at the blond in the past, so L left them to their feud hoping that there would be no trips to the emergency room this time.

Flipping through the cases for the fifth time, L heaved out a sigh that he had been holding in due to the presence of his heirs. He missed Wammy, and the quiet, mature company the man offered. Dealing with the youngsters was too much sometimes, they were still kids for all intents and purposes- ages, muscles, and sex lives aside.

But the man was in Japan at some convention, marveling at the new age of invention and technology. L knew the man deserved the holiday, and since he had no current casework that demanded his assistance, he had let Wammy go without complaint. L had more than enough willing hands to fetch cake and tea through the sycophantic orphans, and his progenies were more than enough brain power to help him chose through cases. Still…L missed the man on a personal level, needing his comfort and gentle guidance in finding something to occupy his time. A bored L was a dangerous L- to himself. He had a tendency to go overboard on new hobbies when bored, and L knew if he didn't find a new case soon he'd probably speak another language by the end of the week through intensive study and absolutely no sleep or nutritional food.

L's phone went off and he slide it open, holding it up to his ear without a greeting. Wammy began talking, knowing better than to expect a proper salutation.

"L, I may have stumbled across a case for you in Japan, if you haven't decided on something else with the boys." L's sat a little straighter, thinking rapidly. Nothing of particular note had occurred in Japan that he was aware of recently, there had been no unusual murders…Actually, the crime rate had gone down if L recalled correctly. The NPA had recently taken a very strong stance against organized crime and had caught several major Yakuza leaders within the last two years. What could be of interest in a country where their own police were so effective?

"I'm listening." L felt a rush of excitement as Wammy began to list out the details, and his mind immediately started to piece the puzzle together. Yes, this was the case he'd been waiting on.

"I'll be in Japan within the next 24 hours. Please enjoy the rest of your convention until then." Wammy said his goodbyes, and L waited until he was done to close the phone without further comment before turning to his computer and powering it up. He pulled up the search engine Matt had designed a few years ago, specifically calibrated to search through only reputable sources of L's preference and typed in the four letter word. As the results poured in, L leaned forward in anticipation. Kira huh?

* * *

**Author's Note**: Boom! Another chapter bites the dust!

So I have to say, I have really mixed emotions on how this was received. A lot of you reading hit the 'story subscribe' and even favorited this little ficcy of mine based on the prologue which is just _awesome, _but I'd really really love some more reviews. Knowing what you guys think is really important and will help guide me through the numerous plot lines that make up this lil story.

Also, it's my birthday. Well, Saturday was. So please make me a happy birthday girl?

And if you like this little piece of fiction, then you might just want to jaunt over to Tale of Two Death Notes- my other story. Yah, yah, I'm pimping myself out on the street corner like a common call girl, I know. But seriously, take a look at it. It's fun and stars Good! Light, unlike bastard Kira Light we have going on here. Not that I prefer one or the other, actually. Both are fun. Also, TTDN has Mello. Well, more Mello than this one. Unless you guys want Mello in this one? LET ME KNOW.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Ink

**Disclaimer**- I don't own it, but boy if I did, I'd buy a big house where both L and Light could live. And then they'd fuck. (What on earth were you expecting from me with that one? It's an Elton John song, it ends in fucking)

_Special Note To The Reader_- Please pay attention to the dates. They're important.

* * *

_May 2012_

Light strolled out of the NPA's office into the drizzly Tokyo air. Cars whisked by, carrying passengers off to dinner or maybe home. It was dark, and Light could barely make out the sprinkles of rain as they passed under yellow street lights. Pulling out his umbrella, he set off at a walk, heels clacking out a staccato rhythm against the wet concrete as he went.

Making sure to avoid any large puddles, Light let his mind go blank as he walked along the street, moving gracefully to avoid brushing shoulders with any fellow pedestrians.

He ignored the siren call of every coffee house that reached out to him with inviting streams of warmth and comforting smells and continued his stroll, slowly letting the anger he had kept down all day build to a crescendo within himself in time with the growing rumblings of thunder.

By the time he stepped foot on Tokyo U's campus, he was furious.

He entered into the Tomb calmly, taking time to slack off his rain coat and move his hair back into place. His fingers gracefully re-did his Windsor knot, flipping the expensive silk with an artist's ease.

He slid off his shoes and found his slippers in the nook in the wall where all of the alumnus, who no longer had to don embroidered jackets, kept their shoes.

He sank his fury down as he preened, keeping only the barest edge of it visible, a glittering razor edge that he could lash out on command. He felt dangerous. He _was_ dangerous.

Slowly, with deliberation, he ascended up the stone steps that led to the meeting room. It was still a while before the council was set to convene, but the highest echelons of the those that had seats on Kira's board could always be found at least an hour before any meeting.

He opened the door and strode in, not bothering with knocking.

He was fucking Light Yagami, they were lucky he was bothering with them at all.

He lifted his eyes slowly, intending to match the gaze of every man in the room dead level and penetrating.

Which is why he was so shocked to see no one there.

The room, ornate as always, was without a single man to admire it, save Light himself. Light frowned. This was not according to plan.

He had intended to barge in and demand an explanation. To slowly wheedle confessions out of the brutal murdering bastards and find out how 'Japan's finest' had sunk to 'Japan's finest murderers'.

The evidence was in his briefcase, the gruesome entirety of it stacked neatly next to his reports on low level yakuza prostitution. All of it was against the Sasaki's. How they'd expected to set Kira's brightest member into the NPA to clear their name without expecting him to find out that they'd been slowly and surely killing off every one from rape victims of Sasaki Jr.'s to business competitors of Sasaki Sr.'s was beyond him.

But Light had. He had unearthed every gory detail while slowly deleting it out of the NPA's database, and he'd been able to connect the stars unlike his fellow officers, but unfortunately he didn't like the constellation.

And now, as he was prepared to accuse and attack, no one was there.

Light let out of an angry huff of air and threw himself down into the head chair of table. It was a fine piece of furniture, made out of albino crocodile skin, and Light had always coveted the day when he'd be sitting at the head of it as the recognized Chair and Leader of Kira.

Now he was curling in it like a despondent child.

How had it gone so wrong? How had the men he'd admired and set out to join come to let him down in such a horrible way? He had bribed for them, cajoled for them, acted out of character for them. All in the name of a better Japan. He hadn't liked the methods, but he'd been assured…

Weren't they above this sort of petty skullduggery? Weren't they supposed to espouse the virtues of society- pillars of strength, brotherhood, integrity and intellect that stood high above the masses?

He chuckled darkly to himself, and recalled the time Mikami had warned him of his idealism.

"That's not what Kira is really about Light." Hadn't those been is exact words? Hadn't Sasaki, lecherous drunken bastard that he was, echoed the sentiment as Light has set off to defend Kira's good name in the NPA?

Light ran a hand through his hair and crashed it down on the oak table hard, concentrating only on the pain that shot up his wrist.

It hurt less than the pain of knowing he'd been working for a fucking lie.

Light's pity party, table for one please, was cut short by a soft fluttering. Light looked up and saw a black notebook jump from the shelf to oak table and glide slowly across the polished surface to his hand.

Loopy English letters were on the front, a vague Gothic font that hurt Light's eyes to look at it.

'Death Note'.

Frowning, Light reached out and grabbed it, flipping it open to see a list of names. He didn't recognize any of them, but they were all in small kanji- carefully written. He leaned over it to look at it closer when he heard a low rumble of a voice.

"Light Yagami."

And then Light saw the face of hell.

"My name is Ryuk."

* * *

_March 2013_

L was anxious. This case was unusual and right from the start, it was shaping up to be a rabbit hole of an adventure, every turn revealing a new cake or potion he had to take on faith because he still wasn't sure which way was up.

Kira was enormous in power, but small in numbers. Kira was hidden cleverly among the every layer of Japanese industry- from the government, to the police, to the highest levels of every major corporation. Kira _was _Japan.

How does one tackle something like that?

More importantly- why?

L reviewed his case file again. Watari had faxed over what his contact had left him with before L boarded his jet, and even though the file was vague and sparse, it was obvious that this was more than an anonymous tip. Someone wanted Kira gutted, and they had carefully lined up the clues for L to do so. And this someone had the knowledge and power to reach out to Watari himself in Japan on a vacation. L was thrilled by the mystery. And a little shocked.

He tapped his fingers lightly against the metal desk in front of him, making his fingers sing out 'Jingle Bells' idly.

And why the NPA? His mysterious employer specifically wanted L to work with the NPA. L didn't need their resources, and honestly it would probably be easier to bring in his own agents. Although, L had done a bang up job searching into the NPA after receiving the request and had only found one potential Kira member hidden amongst their officers, so maybe that was why…?

He glanced at Light Yagami's profile again, noting that even though the boy had nothing but potential, in spades at that, he hadn't exactly lived up to it. Jumping from agency to agency, working at each for a few years and then quitting. Maybe he was just looking to find his groove, it often happened that the highly intelligent often found themselves bored with jobs that required too much paperwork and downtime.

Hell, L wouldn't be L if he had to do the paperwork associated with half his cases. That was what the children were for.

Or maybe he was Kira's hound dog, out for the kill on the frontline of the police.

L wouldn't know till he saw Yagami in person.

L stretched out and reached for his laptop, flicking it on with a push of a button and settling into a game of solitaire.

He had nothing but time to kill until he hit Japan and was able to do some legwork, for now he might as well relax.

Besides, he had a score to settle.

Damn computer wasn't going to win on his watch.

At least not again.

* * *

Light entered into the main foyer of the NPA, blowing on his latte as he went. Flashing a smile at the receptionist, he breezed through security, polished leather shoes clacking across the marble flooring as he went.

He slipped into elevator and checked his hair again in the golden metal that lined the walls before exiting out onto the fifth floor. Grabbing his mail out of the box with his name on it, he headed straight for his office, mentally chanting a plea to any benevolent deities that he might go unnoticed by his fellow upholders of law.

"Yagami!" Dammit all to hell, this is why he was an atheist.

"Matsuda." Light replied coolly, taking another sip off of his latte. The warm caffeine was almost enough to persuade him to play nice with the man.

Almost. Damn shame they weren't playing horseshoes then.

"Did you hear the news? The chief, I mean, your _dad_." he gave off an annoying little sycophantic laugh, and Light considered what would happen if he threw his coffee in the man's face. Just splattered it all over him. Oh, how it would be glorious. And the HR girl was cute and liked him, she'd dropped all those hints, he could probably get away with just a stern lecture…

"Anyways, he called a meeting and said to grab you as soon as you got here! There are big things happening. I can't tell you, because you haven't been to Interpol and it's this big secret but-" Light raised his hand, annoyed.

"Matsuda, if you're not supposed to be telling me about it, then we shouldn't be talking about it. Much less in a public place. When and where is this meeting?" Matsuda gaped at him for a moment before checking his watch.

"Ah! That's what I was going to say! We have to go right now!" Light shot a final mournful look at his office door and let himself by dragged off by the arm by Matsuda.

"Fuck Matsuda, you made me drop my latte!"

Sometimes, Light really hated life.

Light was eventually pulled into one of the conference rooms on the seventh floor, the kind that was filled with cheap plastic chairs and composite wood tables and last year's LCD TVs.

Basically, it was shit.

But it was private, and Light supposed that was why his father had chosen it. His father's usual cohorts were gathered and Light was glad that he had at least tried to play nice with all of them over the last few months. Except for Matsuda. Fuck Matsuda.

Light contemplated that he might need more coffee.

"Alright, now that we're all here." Soichiro Yagami gave his team the warm kind of smile that only fathers could produce. "Light, this is a big day for you. We usually don't bring intelligence men in on this sort of thing, but you were special requested."

Whoop-di-de to that.

Oh, he definitely needed more coffee.

"L is here."

Light flicked his eyes up to his father sharply. L was fast, then.

"L?" Light kept his voice polite, moderately and appropriately curious.

"Yes, he's a rather infamous detective. I don't suppose you would have heard of him doing the intelligence work you do, but for those of us who hit the streets, he is…our coup d'état. And he's taken an interest in a case here in Japan. We're awaiting the details, but he contacted me last night requesting that I form a team of my best men. He also requested you by name, Light." Soichiro smiled tightly at his son, mustache twitching slightly. Light almost felt bad that his being requested was almost completely related to the fact that L was going to assume he was a member of Kira. Actually, Light needed him to. It was integral to the plan, after all.

But still. It was a shame to waste all that fatherly pride.

"So we don't know the contents of the case?" Aizawa asked, frowning slightly.

"Not yet, L said we'd be informed whenever Watari arrived."

"Watari?" Light asked again.

"L's envoy. Only way to contact L is through Watari and that's only if Watari comes to you first." Not true, Light sang in his head.

Stupid Matsuda.

"Detectives." Somewhere in the midst of explanations the door had opened and in had slipped a tall man, face covered by a hat and pulled up trench coat collar.

Cheap theatrics at best.

Light watched as the man pulled out his laptop, staying at the far end of the long room he had entered in. The screen flickered white briefly before the infamous gothic L popped up and the computer spoke to them.

"Gentlemen, please take a seat. This initial meeting won't last long."

They all took seats and waited patiently, each staring at the computer. Matsuda looked beside himself with glee.

"I am here to talk to you about a case that has been brought to my attention by an anonymous employer. I have chosen to work with the NPA at the request of this employer, and have specifically singled you out at the recommendation of Chief Yagami. I have worked with Chief Yagami in the past, and am excited to renew our partnership." Their eyes all met over the table wonderingly, and Light feigned interest. He wished L would get on with it. Goddamn cock tease.

"The case I am speaking of is one that was once under your own jurisdiction, but has now been dropped. After reviewing the case files in your system pertaining to the case, I see it has been dropped due to a lack of evidence, and what I believe are a series of bribes from the criminals in question." The silence was thick this time, able to be cut and felt.

"I speak of course…of Kira." Aizawa's head shot up and he glanced at Light out of the corner of his eye. Light knew he didn't like Aizawa for a reason. But then again, his suspicion would work in Light's favor.

"It is my belief that Kira has become more than an esteemed alumnus group for Tokyo University students. It seems that in their arrogance, they have seen it fit to seek to control Japan through bribes and nepotism. I believe, as I know you do, that this is not fair to the people of Japan. I also have evidence to believe that Kira's actions run much darker than just insider information and deals. I believe murder can easily be added to their crimes." Oh and wasn't this just delightful?

L himself airing out Kira's dirty laundry. Throwing Light's brotherhood to the wolves of the NPA. It was almost enough to make him want to smile.

"Of course, now that I have your attention, I'm afraid I must leave. I have cleared all of you for tomorrow to come meet me in person. Certain facets of this case necessitate that I work face to face instead of my usual methods. Therefore, Watari will leave you with the information for tomorrow. Until then." The laptop flickered black.

Seemed L was fond of the dramatics as well.

Watari silently slid a business card with an address written on it and left without a word, packing up the 'L' computer away and tugging his hat down low.

The moment he'd cleared the threshold, mayhem broke out.

"Kira!"

"I can't believe it, we're going to meet L in person!"

"I thought Kira was nothing more than rumors and overly dramatic speculation?"

"Murder, can you believe that? Do you know who's supposed to be in Kira? The prime minister himself!"

"Matsuda, he couldn't be in Kira, he didn't go to Tokyo University."

"Yagami went to Tokyo University." Aizawa's voice was soft, but pointed, and suddenly Light felt the eyes of the assembled task force fall on him.

It felt similar to the spotlight he'd been under when he acted as the lead in his primary school's production of Hagoromo. Awkward.

"Yes, I did." Light kept his voice bland.

"And L asked for you specifically." Aizawa replied.

"Well summarized." Light responded airily back. This was a game he was good at.

"Aizawa, let's not jump to any conclusions, eh?" Matsuda smiled brightly at them all. "After all, L probably just requested Light because he's so smart! Let's just be glad we get to work on this case together!" Forgetting the fact that Matsuda was standing up for him, Light was just impressed the man had caught on to Aizawa's implications.

There may be hope for him after all.

"Now, I owe Light a coffee, so we're just going to be going. See you all tomorrow at ah…." He glanced down at the small card. "At the hotel! Bye!" And for once, Light was not completely displeased to be dragged off by Matsuda.

The man had potential.

* * *

L stared at the task force that was assembled before him.

They reeked of cop.

The NPA was an interesting beast of an organization. It was a national level group, on par with the FBI in theory, but for some reason they had always seemed so…policemanish.

Not that it was a bad thing, L had a lot of appreciation for low level defenders of justice. He was just used to working with more polished, pristine agents.

Like Light Yagami, who was currently holding court in the chair opposite L.

He was what L was used to.

Dangerous.

The man was a piece of work, from the top of his glossy amber locks down to shined leather shoes. He was lounging in his chair like he owned it, and hadn't even batted an eye when Watari transformed from mysterious-man-in-coat to butler du jour.

Instead he had accepted his tea gracefully, and complimented Wammy's brewing skills.

L was enraptured.

"I have brought you here because I believe we are all about to embark on a dangerous journey. It is no small secret that Kira is extremely influential, and I believe that if you are to make it known that we are actively working against them, it will negatively affect your livelihoods. Therefore, I have informed the NPA that you men are to be on retainer to me for a case regarding the Yakuza." L's eyes flickered back to Yagami, who was watching L with a detached calm that matched L's own.

"However, all of those provisions are completely pointless if we are not all on the same team. Every one of you has been thoroughly screened by myself for Kira connections and come up clean. Except for one." L swore he saw Light's lips curl upwards around his tea.

"Light Yagami, would you kindly remove your wristwatch?"

Ah, he hadn't been expecting that. Light's eyes widened minutely, before narrowing.

"No."

L got up from his crouch and crossed over to Light's chair.

Light just matched his stare.

"You're intruding on my personal space, L." His voice was soft, feather light and breezily tenor. L wondered if it got deeper when he was in bed.

"The watch, Yagami." Light shook his head.

"Absolutely not. It's very expensive and I don't want your sticky fingers touching it."

L heard…Matsuda, was it?, laugh. Fuck Matsuda.

"I assure you should I injure it in any way I can replace it a hundred times over with the interest my various financial accounts alone have accrued. Now, the watch." Glowering darkly, Light slowly undid the clasp on the Rolex, sliding it off and dropping it into L's waiting and only moderately sticky palm. L just grabbed Light's wrist, pulling him forward by it so that the small tattoo would be fully visible under the hotel's muted mood lighting.

There was nothing there. Nothing but smooth and tawny skin and a warm pulse beneath L's fingers.

Light arched an eyebrow.

"Never mind then. I guess you weren't good enough for Kira." L settled back down into his chair, examining the Rolex now in his possession.

It was real, there was no doubt about that.

L wondered how fast Light could lie.

"How did you happen to get this watch, Yagami?" L noticed Yagami Sr. lean forward, looking interested as well. Ah, apparently Light was not the sharing type. Pity, secrets didn't make friends.

"I…Is that really necessary information? I don't know what you have against my watch, but it's obvious that whatever you thought would happen when I took it off didn't happen. What- are Kira members tattooed or something?" L just gave him an even glare.

"Oh, so they are. Well that's just rich. Fine. Everyone take their shots right here and now. Aizawa, I believe you were after me about being in Kira as well. Is that the only reason I'm here, L? Because you wanted an inside perspective on the investigation?" He was awfully good at sounding innocent, L noted.

Made him all the more suspicious.

"Stop avoiding the topic, Yagami. How did you get the watch?" Light's face colored slightly.

"A girlfriend, okay? She bought it as an early graduation gift right before my senior year. She's an actress, and was really crazy about me…We broke up a few months later, but… it's a really nice watch. She refused to take it back and I like wearing it. You don't earn Rolex money on a police salary." He finished with a slightly downcast look, eyes perfectly avoiding every other pair in the room.

Damn, he was a beautiful liar.

"Misa Misa bought you the Rolex?" Soichiro Yagami's tone was colored with discontent, and L watched as Light pretended to squirm.

"…Yes..."

"Well now I see why you never told me how you got it." Light blushed deeper. Matsuda laughed.

"Ah, young love. Wish I had that kind of a girlfriend! Why'd you ever break up?" More laughter broke out and Light grinned sheepishly as the men teased him appropriately. L let it go on, thinking out his next moves. Obviously Light wanted to keep his involvement in Kira secret from the other men. That was fine by L.

But he'd come clean to L one way or another.

"Gentlemen, I have a catered luncheon waiting in the other room and I believe it is approaching the appropriate time to use it. If you'll begin to head in there, I want a quick moment to apologize to Yagami before we join you."

The men looked all appropriately discomfited at L's sharp tone, but nonetheless filed out to the next room where Wammy was setting out a rather magnificent sushi spread.

Light just held out his wrist, looking the part of the beatific martyr perfectly. L took it, dabbed his shirt into his scalding tea quickly and began to rub. Light hissed and jerked his wrist back, but L had a vice grip on it and won the tug of war.

The make-up came off enough for L to make out the small K that was inked into the skin, a skeletal crown topping the letter. It was elegant and neat and very fitting.

"Little Light's a liar." L muttered in English.

"Little L should play nicer with his employer's." Light hissed back.

L blinked up at him.

"Excuse me?" Light glanced over at the now closed door into the next room.

"I hired you. I need your help." Light shot another dark glance at the door before leaning into L's ear and murmuring gently into his ear, warm breath tickling down the fine hairs on L's neck.

"I want you to help me bring down Kira."

* * *

**Author's Note**- Holy shitballs, I cannot believe I got through this chapter. I'm know it's been over a month, I'm so sorry. This story has been like pulling teeth to me and you have _no_ idea how many revisions this chapter went through before it hit ffn. And not in the good way. More in the- I know what I want to happen so why won't it just happen- kind of way. Pulling. Fucking. Teeth. Light and L are tricky tricky bastards. So many good scenes hit the proverbial editing floor on this, it's not even funny. I'm still mourning my Light and Mikami drinking tea and moping scene. It might show up reincarnated later on, I'm still so mad I had to cut it.

And yes, I'm so aware I've just left you with a bunch of questions. It's called foreplay m'dears. Enjoy it. This plot is meaty and dense and we will get into it. For now, conspiracize (not a real word, btw) away. I'm really looking forward to what you think is going to happen/ what you think is actually happening. Light's a sneaky one, lets just say that.

This might get a face lift later on, but I think for now I'm happy with it. The boys have met. L's horny, as always. Light's a bastard, as always.

If you want a reversal of those roles, you should check out my new fic From Russia with Love. It's crack and stars Rapper!Light and Mafia!L. They sex it up. And gun it up. I'm told its good stuff. I'm still blushing from the lemon in it.

Shout out to my reviewers, you guys mean the world to me. Honestly, this fic took so long because it really doesn't seem many people are interested in it. It's kind of bummed me out since this is my favorite of my ficcies so far. In the 'I actually try to have a coherent plot and vaguely well-written' kind of way at least. Oh wellz. Back to the lolz.

Thanks for reading my wordbombs! Kisses!


	4. Secrets

Disclaimer- If I owned DN, I would have gotten together with the people behind Full Metal and had a Light/Roy Mustang scene. I mean, damn, that thought is keeping me up at night. Seriously. *fans face*

Note to the reader- As always, dates are important

* * *

_April 2007_

Light was curled up in the biggest armchair in the room, as was his right, feet being tickled by the waves of warmth given off by the crackling fire at his right. He watched the flames dance along the wood, slowly eating their way through the giant logs as he sipped his wine, letting the gentle lull of conversation ebb and tide around him. He felt comfortable. It was nice.

"Alright men, tonight we're going to do something different." Light glanced up at Mikami, sorry, Ryuk, who had just entered the lounge with a box in his arms.

"Tonight- you bond. As a brotherhood, we know all about each other. We know the dirty secrets that not even your girlfriends know. We are family. You've heard this all before, but tonight we're going to live it." He dropped his box down on the low cherry wood table that ate up the middle of the small lounge that the incoming Shinigami class resided in. The outgoing seniors still had rights to the main student lounge in the Tomb and were currently using it to great effect with nightly stripper orders and rounds of raucous drinking. Light could hear the music even through the stone walls.

The eight juniors gave the box mixed looks of curiosity and trepidation. The last time Mikami had brought in an unannounced box, they had all ended up in French maid uniforms tending to the seniors for a day so that they could learn 'deference to authority'. Light had not appreciated the lesson or the large number of jokes that had been made at how good he'd looked in drag. It wasn't his fault he had excellent bone structure.

Mikami opened it and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and there were clacks of glass that indicated more lay within. Now even Light's curiosity was peaked.

"I thought we weren't allowed hard liquor in the Tomb until our Senior year…" Isamu Kato, the current editor of the school's newspaper and one of Light's favorite fellow Shinigami muttered, taking the bottle handed to him by Mikami. There was a low whistle from one of the other boys, Light thought maybe Tanaka, as the label and date on the bottle was admired.

"You aren't. This is your one exception, and only because this is going to be painful. Let me put it this way- I'm not fucking around. You will share your deepest thoughts, your most painful truths. If you don't, I'll hand you a uniform and send you back to the seniors. Trust me, you can't say anything that hasn't already been said." Light took one of the small crystal glasses that were being passed around, rubbing the smooth diamond cut crystal pattern under his thumb.

He was unsure of how he felt about this. He wasn't a sharing person, and even though he felt more at ease around his fellow top students than anywhere else…

He still wasn't comfortable. There was an ease to the way they all interacted with each other that Light always felt separate from.

He was still outside of them, above them, looking down at them. He was one in a hundred thousand, and the only kind cut of his cloth even at prestigious Tokyo University. If they were legacies in the making, then he was already legend.

And he was not comfortable whispering secrets to them. Of that he was sure.

He murmured his thanks as Mikami dropped ice cubes in his glass, filling each of the younger men's cups with four each.

The whiskey was then passed and Light took his fair share, even though he really did prefer the wine he'd been drinking. Whiskey burned too much.

"Alright, who's ready to share?" Mikami said, leaning back on the chaise lounge opposite Light. The fire crackled a bit in the ensuing silence as the boys wracked their brains before Tanaka spoke up.

"Alright, I'll bite. Five years ago, I took my dad's car out for a joyride. It was a beauty, old American classic that he restored with my grandfather before he passed away. It meant the world to my dad and I completely wrecked it." There was a pause as they all stared at Tanaka, each surprised that the usually mellow judoka had that sort of impulsiveness in him.

"What was worse was what happened afterwards. I blamed it on the help. Had it towed with cash back to a rougher part of town where one of the gardening staff I didn't like lived. Reported it stolen, the man lost his job and a huge chunk of salary to pay for the damages. After that…"

"I've always felt guilty for it. I didn't like the man, but I later found out that he'd been basically bankrupted by the bills and legal fees my dad thrust on him. Not to mention, he was a single parent. Even in spite of all of that, I've never been able to tell my dad the truth. Instead, I've snuck out my Christmas money to the man through anonymous donations every year and managed to convince a law partner of my dad's to take him on. He's doing okay now, but even he still doesn't know how he got blamed for it. I'd never talked about it before."

There was a pause as they all stared around at each other, eyes wide. Light, for his part, was impressed. Oh, the tortured and twisted lives of rich kids.

"Cheers to that." Sasaki muttered, and they all took a deep sip off their whiskey. Light choked down his cough.

"Good job. That's what I want, this is what it means to be Shinigami. We know your worst, and we're still here for you. Who's next?"

They each took their turns.

Kato confessed to paraphrasing his entrance essay into Tokyo University off of his older brothers.

Sasaki told a torrid tale of having an affair with one of his mother's best friends that occurred exclusively in the showers of his country club. He told the tale with relish, and Light had the feeling that it really wasn't something the boy was ashamed of. He even accepted congratulations afterwards.

The other's stories were repeats of the same- drugs, pregnancies that had been terminated, an affair with the young and very popular female Chemistry TA…

Light had nothing. He wasn't rich and his father was a policeman. If he'd even dreamed of this sort of behavior, he would have been sent deep into the countryside to become a monk.

"And all's that left for round one is our King. Light?" Mikami raised his glass towards Light's still form, still comfortably settled on his chair above the other boys who had slowly slipped into a loose circle on the floor.

"I am unsure of whether I have something that can satisfy. Honestly, my deepest secrets are more along the lines of the fact that I constantly hold myself above others." Mikami arched an eyebrow and a slightly drunken Kato whispered theatrically something close to 'no surprise there'. There were chuckles and a few boos.

"Give us something real Mr. Perfect!" Haruno, usually a more reserved boy, yelled. The remark was echoed throughout the room and Mikami even nodded, hiding a grin behind his drink.

"Ah, but I am just that Haruno." Light grinned cheekily. "Sorry, I've never cheated, I haven't made below a 95% on any test- ever. Maybe when I was in elementary school, but I certainly don't remember it. The most embarrassing thing I've ever done was dress up as a cupid when I was ten for a fundraiser at school that my mother was in charge of. I slipped and my toga fell off, leaving me high, dry, and pre-pubescent in front of the whole parent's association. That about sums me up." There were raucous laughs, mostly booze inspired and Light chuckled a bit too as they all took their mandatory sip of whiskey.

"Oh I know you can do better than that, Kingy." Sasaki said, suddenly standing up and walking closer to Light. He had an odd look in his eyes that had nothing to do with the whiskey and Light stiffened instinctively, narrowing his eyes at the other boy.

"Like Ryuk said- we're family. Surely you can tell us all your sordid details like we've done. Go on, we won't hold it against you." Sasaki's tone was knowing, arrogant, and gloating.

"I don't know what you mean. If you want the details of my love life like you gave so willing, you're going to have to ask my girlfriend Misa Amane. You might have heard of her, she's just a bit famous." The other boys let out a few pressed laughs, but the tension was obvious. Sasaki curled out a slow smirk and Light felt his stomach tighten up in spite of himself.

"No, not your proper love life Yagami. Why don't you tell us about America?" Light went cold. No, there was no way…

"My father did a bit of a follow up on you Yagami, after we were all let in and you made King. You really are just too perfect on paper, aren't you? Too bad even you couldn't keep that up during the summer." Light kept his features completely stoic even then he was beginning to hear a ringing in his ears. He had to be talking out of his ass, there was just no _fucking_ way…

"So come on Yagami. Share with the group. Or I'll share for you." Light just shook his head. It was all he could do. He couldn't even breathe.

"Oh quit it with the dramatics Sasaki." Mikami snapped. "So what? Light cheated on Amane is that what you're implying? Who gives a fuck?" A few of the boys nodded, but Kato spoke up.

"Actually, he wasn't even dating Amane at the time, was he? So, then what? He got some tail in America, it's what we all would have done. I don't see why we need to map out every partner of Yagami's out, even if they were a double bagger." Sasaki just threw his head back and laugh.

"Oh, Yagami didn't get any tail. His tail was gotten, isn't that right, Yagami?" Light swallowed hard, finally regaining his voice.

"Fuck off Sasaki, you're talking out of your ass because you're a jealous cunt that I'm King. Now, I've shared. We've all shared. Can we move the fuck on, some of us have studies to attend to." Sasaki snarled.

"No Yagami, I don't think I will until you share properly. I don't see what the big deal is, intimacy with men isn't exactly a problem for you, is it?" Silence strangled the room.

"What exactly are you implying Sasaki?" Kato asked, now standing as well.

"I'm not implying, I'm stating. Light spent his summer fucking men, or rather, getting fucked by men, and he doesn't want to share. I, for one, seem to think it's important that we know if Amane's just a fag hag." Sasaki stood in the middle of the room, smirking victoriously.

Mikami moved first, cuffing Sasaki hard up the side of his head with a loud smack.

"You ignorant little boy. If you in any way imply that we should not welcome Yagami because of his sexuality, or that we should in any way be appalled by it, then you have just proven what we already knew- that you are undeserving of being King and the title properly went to Light." There were slow nods around the room, but Light's cheeks were still burning. Ousted by Sasaki in front of his entire class, for something he'd never intended to indulge beyond a few achingly satisfying flings during his summer vacations.

But even when being given glowering looks from their classmates, Sasaki stood triumphant and still smirking slightly at Light and Light knew why.

The younger generation of Japan might be more open to homosexuality, but the elderly members would never allow him to sit on the council much less rule over it. They looked down on such sexual deviancies as one of the reasons behind Japan's recent decline in world opinion, and if Sasaki or rather, Sasaki Sr., informed them of this…

He was done. Ended before he could start his real path with Kira.

"Well, if we're done here, I'm leaving." Light stood, back straight and tight and was walking towards the door when it opened before him.

Hiroaki stood before him, cheeks red with overindulgence and a small and crude tin crown placed lopsided on his head. He winked at Light and plopped the crown down on Light's own amber locks quickly before darting further into the room.

"How'd Secrets Night go? We get any good ones? Our class had nothing fun, just a bunch of nanny fuckers and drug users." Looks were passed amongst the boys and they all shook their heads silently.

"Oh, come on. Surely one of you-" He paused to hiccup. "had something fun hidden up their ass?"

Light wondered if the earth could possibly be bothered to open up and swallow him as his classmates all exchanged eyebrow raises.

Hiroaki continued. "You know these things are all recorded, we'll all hear it at the next big kids meeting. Might as well tell me now while I'm pleasantly inclined."

"Light's gay." Kato said, flatly. Hiroaki looked surprised for a moment, before laughing.

"Well thank God, now some of us might be able to get dates." A round of laughter went up and Light gave a tight smile at the jokes about relief that he was no longer competition went around.

He took a few more moments of ribbing before excusing himself and finally making it out of the room into the cold dark hallways of the Tomb. He strode quickly down the hall, moving as fast as possible while still able to keep quiet.

Finally, he reached the small kitchen that contained a bunch of catered in platters of food and bags of tea and coffee and he hurriedly began to make himself a cup, splashing hot water on his hands as he went.

He had never been so embarrassed.

He had never been so enraged.

And he had never been so incapable to do anything about it.

Light jumped as he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Mikami standing behind him.

"Calm down." Light just threw his tea bag into his cup, not bothering with loose leaves. He just didn't have the patience.

"Light, it's going to be okay." Mikami's voice was low and soothing and he was rubbing Light's back gently. Light let himself be led down into a chair as Mikami's low voice continued to talk softly next to him.

"I promise you, this is not going to ruin you with Kira. I know what you're thinking…that you're through. I won't lie- that's exactly what Sasaki wants. He's bitterly jealous, and he and his father are pulling out all of the stops to see you either quit or be kicked out." Mikami handed Light his tea and Light curled his fingers around it, letting the spearmint steam work its way into his lungs.

"But what they fail to realize is that if you stay in, if you keep to the path, you will be Chairmen. You are a King. I am a King. Hiroaki is a King. You have allies, they're just younger than Sasaki's. Fortunately, that works in your favor because all of his will be dead by the time you're up for Chairmen." Light glanced up, and Mikami smiled at him. "You know as well as I that not every King gets to be chairmen Light, but when we were choosing your class's King, we chose you because you have what it takes. You will be an amazing Chairman someday, and you are exactly what Kira needs to keep moving forward. We all have faith in you. Don't let that little rich, self-entitled piece of shit bother you." Mikami paused. "Right now…you don't know all of the depths to Kira. I'm still ignorant on some of the finer points. There are some things that we are involved in that not all of us are comfortable with, and you won't be either. The seniors chose you and specifically not Sasaki because we feel…" Mikami pushed his glasses up and gave Light an impassioned stare of all eclipsing admiration. "We feel you can light up Kira's path, Light. You can bring us back to who we were when we started." He squeezed Light's shoulder again and Light let him, still absorbing the information before him.

"Now, finish that and go get some sleep." Light nodded and Mikami left. After Light had heard the last of his footsteps echoing down, he threw his cup into the wall, letting the shattered pieces and droplets rain down the wall.

* * *

_March 2013_

L had waved off the taskforce as soon as the last piece of shrimp had disappeared from the clothed table. He'd muttered out excuses about having other cases and seeing them in the morning and he'd even pushed Light out with them for show. Light had waited until the last man, naturally Matsuda, had disappeared off into the horizon, before doubling back up where L was waiting for him.

"First, I would like to know how you tracked me down." L was crouched opposite Light as they'd been all morning, idly stacking sugar cubes into a piece of china. Light mentally bet himself a mile off his next morning run that the thing would fall before it reached twenty cubes.

"It wasn't easy, if that's what you're worried about. It took me almost five months." L remained expressionless, but his toes curled suddenly.

"Many men have been trying much longer than that, Yagami. This is an exceedingly staggering accomplishment. You should be proud." Damn, L was up to seventeen cubes already and there hadn't been a waver in site.

"Hardly. I didn't track you down so that I could feel good about myself, I need your help. And besides, most others looking for you don't have the connections I have." L paused and sucked on his thumb for a moment, dark eyes flashing with thoughts.

Light was thrilled.

He was perfect. Awkward and preternaturally brilliant with just a peak of a darker edge of ruthlessness. Light had been expecting a middle aged man with good luck and great connections that he would have to lead around by the hand, but the L before him would be able to get to the conclusions Light needed him to draw on his own.

"I managed to get a whiff of who Watari, or rather Wammy, was through the Cambridge Apostles. I have developed a large amount of contacts within their ranks and many of them seemed to be under the impression that you could be summoned at their will. I wracked through all of their members and finally came across a Roger Ruvie that attended King's College and is now presiding over a certain Wammy's House for Gifted Youth. From there I found Quilish Wammy, brilliant inventor that has taken to traveling the world. Now, there was nothing to directly link you to him aside from the fact that he seems to vacation wherever L is working on cases, but even that could have been me being overly hopeful since L seems to work numerous cases and all of them in different countries. Still, I felt I was on the right path. So I had my men approach him and here you are."

Light couldn't be sure if L was satisfied with that answer or not, but it was as close to the truth as he chose to reveal. In reality, he'd tracked Wammy down as Watari within the first two months and spent the next three tearing through all the information he could track down about L. Though the man himself had remained an enigma, Light felt he was aware of some of the man's most well kept secrets. Like that Light was also entertaining Coil and Devenue.

"Impressive. It is certainly true that only someone of your standing and intellect could have tracked me down." L suddenly pierced him with a gaze and Light felt his heart flutter in shock for a moment. The man's eyes were black holes, terrifying and mystifying at the same time.

"Now, why exactly are you determined to bring down the society that has given you the ability with which to do such feats? Surely you're content with your station? Or am I to become a party to a power play on your behalf."

Light paused on his answer. L was clever and seemed to have a firm handle on Light's personality, which made him a bit uneasy. It was best to be relatively honest.

"To tell you the truth, yes. This is a bit of a power play, but it is not purely selfish in motive. For years now, Kira has been sinking further and further down in both our morals and actions through who our current leadership is. Unfortunately, my hands are bound. I am a Shinigami, therefore I cannot act directly against my fellow members. You however…"

L placed the twenty-fifth cube on his tower.

"What you are saying is that you need me to cleanse Kira for you, by your dictate. However, you must know that I do not listen to the orders of others. If I go in, I will wipe the board of any men with illegal actions to their name. That includes you, Yagami." Light smiled wryly.

"Of course, L. We're not all con men in Kira. Many of us are good, with only the true intentions of Kira at heart- brotherhood and intellectual companionship." L gave him another short glance.

"And I imagine you're only saying that because you've either done your illegal deeds with Japan's governmental consent or hidden them so well that I will never find them. Know this, I will not help you become Chairmen, or whatever they call the person in power in Kira."

Light actually laughed out loud at that. L looked surprised and quirked his head at Light as his chuckles died down.

"I'm actually not eligible to lead Kira, but I'll take note of your words nonetheless." L bit his thumb.

"You're not? Why? Is there an age restriction? Surely such a thing could be removed for someone as clever as Yagami?" The light edge of mocking grated at Light's pride, but he ignored it. He had to play this part perfectly; there were no re-dos in this game.

"I'm ineligible because…" Light forced up a blush, trying to look attractively coy. "My sexuality is not the norm for Chairmen. It has been made clear to me by my superiors that I will not be receiving the honor of council membership for a long time." L's mouth fell in a perfect 'O', and he looked genuinely surprised.

"Ah."

The pause that came after settled in and became a genuine break in conversation as L continued to stack. Was he really up to fifty?

"Have dinner with me tonight." L's voice was as flat as ever, but he'd uncurled his legs and was now staring at Light with a slight simmer of something more than intellect lurking behind his eyes.

"Dinner? We're talking business now. I hardly see the point in extending it into the time of night where we could be doing pleasurable activities." Light missed the point on purpose, and he saw that he'd been found out by the small grin L sent his way.

"Oh but Yagami, I am talking about pleasurable activities." His voice was quite nice, Light decided.

"That usually comes after dinner, L." L gave him a small smile.

"Indeed it does, Yagami."

* * *

Dinner had been a short affair consisting of light food, fish and greens on both parts behalf, before L began shoveling cake into his mouth. Light had instead opted for an after dinner mix of cocktails and L hadn't protested, knowing that Light's judgment being impeded in anyway was only to his advantage in this situation.

Much to his surprise, the man held his liquor impeccably. Then L remembered that not only had Light gone to college, he had been a pseudo-elite frat boy. Of course he could handle his liquor.

The conversation was surprisingly easy. Light was easily as fascinating as he we beautiful, and he seemed to read L's mind, following onto the way his thoughts spread out and managing to make sense of them. L had enjoyed it immensely.

He enjoyed the way the man's mouth tasted more.

He wasn't sure how they had wound up on the couch, making out like teenagers with a curfew, but there they were. Light was trapped comfortably between L's thighs and seemed content to stay there, leisurely kissing and tasting and exploring.

L couldn't remember the last time he'd been so hard.

Finally, after an eternity, Light pulled away. His hair was now mussed by L's traveling fingers and his lips were swollen and red to match his cheeks.

"I should go."

L sank his fingers into Lights hips and dragged them down to meet his own, erections brushing through their respective coverings. Light gave a low moan into L's neck and L began to kiss Light's temple, pressing butterfly kisses down the line where his hair met smooth skin.

"L…" Light's voice sounded strained and L slid his fingers down to brush up against Light's straining pants. He gasped and bucked his hips into L's waiting palm.

"Been a while for you?" L murmured into Light's sweet smelling hair.

"A bit." The words were gasped out into L's shoulder and he continued to stroke Light through his brown trousers. Light pulled away, sitting up and straddling L properly. "I should go." He repeated, looking reluctant.

"Why? We're both consenting and horny adults. And you're just going to be here tomorrow morning anyways. Save yourself the commute." Light chuckled.

"I don't stay over on the first date." He leaned down and pecked L lightly on the lips before sliding off and taking a deep breath. "But…I do on the third."

L rolled his eyes and tried not to look too put out.

"Your false sense of modesty is not in any way attractive." Light smiled and kissed him gently again.

"L, we have to work together. Perhaps for months. I'm attracted to you. Desperately. But let's get to know each other and develop a bit of mutual respect before we fuck, yah?" L just grabbed the other man's face and pulled him into a deep kiss that had Light leaning against him and holding onto L for dear life. L made sure the younger man was out of breath before pulling away to see Light looking absolutely flummoxed and a bit needy.

"Well…I could always reconsider…"

L shook his head.

"No, you made a very good point. Good night." And with that, L left Light looking dazed in the sitting room and took off to his shower.

* * *

Mikami opened the door quickly, glaring at Light through wet bangs with crazy eyes.

"Where in the hell have you been? You said you'd be by at 8." Light pushed passed him into the small apartment without answering, going straight to the fridge to find himself a beer. Mikami glared at him, but didn't say anything as Light popped the cap off and took a long swill. Finally, after a mouthful of the taupe liquid had flooded into his stomach and provided him with a bit courage, he turned back to his waiting friend who stood now with arms crossed.

"I was on a date." The shock on Mikami's face was worth giving up the truth and Light smirked a bit behind his bottle.

"You were on a what?" Mikami crossed into his small kitchenette and grabbed himself a beer before leading Light over to his couch. Light settled into the familiar piece of furniture and took a few more swigs.

"A date. It's what happens when grown folks want to talk before fucking. You're the one with the soon to be fiancé, you should know all about them." Mikami paled a bit as Light reminded him why his presence had been demanded in the first place and he fiddled with the hem of his dark blue t-shirt for a few moments before replying.

"Who with? When'd you meet him?" Light grinned.

"At work." Mikami's eyes practically kissed his glasses as they bulged and Light held back his laughter.

"Mother fucker. You never even mentioned that you might have a boy. Here I am, worried that you're going to be dateless yet again to a major social function and you're sneaking around dating instead of helping me with my proposal. Fucker. Absolute fucker." Light did laugh at that and Mikami just arched an eyebrow.

"He's not going to be my date to your wedding, Mikami. I'm taking Misa, same as I've taken her to every other 'major social function'. Now, enough of my love life. We are here to plan out yours." Mikami shook his hair and Light made a face as he was hit with water droplets off of the freshly washed mane.

"Oh no. Absolutely not. You're telling me everything right this second and then I'm calling Hiroaki and telling him, because he's been worried about you. Now, spill." Mikami looked obstinate, and Light knew it was best to indulge him lest he have a sulky lawyer with an agenda on his hands. Besides, just because he eventually intended to kill L off didn't make the romance any less real.

"I met him today and we had dinner. He asked. Afterwards, we made out like fifteen year olds. It was horribly fun and he's exciting and good looking. Happy?" Mikami scowled and Light gave him a grin.

"Now, to you. Where's the ring?" Mikami reached into his sweatpants pocket and pulled out a small dark blue velvet box and Light flicked it open with loud snap. Standing proudly against satin bedding was a tidy little ring, pear cut in shape with excellent clarity. It was traditional, gold, small yet stately. Boring but perfect, and a complete summation of the women to whom it would soon belong.

"She'll love it." Mikami flushed slightly and took it back from Light, placing to down reverently on his coffee table.

"I've reserved a table at her favorite restaurant for dinner first, and then I was thinking we could go on a walk through Tokyo's campus. I was going to propose to her by the koi pond; it's where we had our first kiss." Also perfect and boring, Light noted.

"Takada will be thrilled Mikami. You know she's been planning this wedding in her head for the last three months, she's going to say yes and love it and she'll love you and you'll get laid and all will be well." Mikami downed half his beer at the thought and Light snorted.

"Oh, and just for the record, tell Hiroaki he can mind his own business for once. Just because he's about to be my brother-in-law doesn't mean my love life suddenly becomes his concern." Mikami grinned at him and pulled out his cell out of his other pocket. Light arched an eyebrow. Mikami leapt up off the back of the couch with too much grace for a lawyer and ran into his bedroom quickly, slamming Light out at the last minute.

"Oh fuck you Teru!" He could hear the phone keys being punched with cheerful dings and he slumped against the thin white door, half-heartedly hitting it with his palm.

"Kenji? Yah, guess who finally got a date?"

Light decided at that moment that all of his friends were dicks.

* * *

_May 2007_

Light pulled his legs up slowly, feeling his abs tense and fire off pain as his feet reached chest level. His elbows were cutting into the thin padding on the sweat covered leg lift machine, but dammit his body didn't just maintain itself. Breathing slowly out his nose, he lowered his legs- remembering only in the moment that the reverse motion was the actual hard part. Satisfied that his last one had been as good as his first, he hopped off and wiped down the machine quickly.

"You know, when my father found all of those talkative lovers you left scattered across the USA, I was surprised. But looking back on it, I really shouldn't have been- all the time in the gym, the hair." Sasaki's eyes flicked down Light's topless form, made resplendent with a light sheen of sweat and a firm tone of muscle from hard work as he walked into the small and otherwise empty weight room. It was late and Light regretted in this moment his fondness for solo workouts during tennis off season.

"You really just look like the kind of guy who enjoys being fucked in the ass." Light calmly wiped his hands clean before moving.

Light slammed Sasaki into the plaster wall in a swift movement, reaching up to grab the shorter man by the chin in a firm grip. Small black eyes widened as Light sank his fingers into the flabby flesh he found around the man's chin. Sad really, baseball season was due to begin and he still wasn't in shape.

"Alright, I'm done playing nice Sasaki." Light's voice was low, but gentle. The best made threats were like making love, you have to build slowly to the climax.

"Let me put this in terms that are very simple for you. Yes, I am gay and I enjoy the company of men more than women. It's a biologically innate preference that in due time will be accepted by the majority of civilized society and I have no qualms about it. Now you, however…" Light met Sasaki's eyes and held his gaze.

"Your sins will never be forgiven, now will they?" Sasaki sneered, pulling the flesh tight under Light's fingertips, but he held firm.

"Meaning what? No one cares if I had some fun as a teenager." Light smiled slowly, all daggered edges and flittering razor blades reflecting in his perfectly kept teeth.

"Meaning that if the world were to find out that Sasaki Akio's darling little step sister- the underage one who got pregnant by her vandal boyfriend and then killed herself over it- was really impregnated by her sloppy drunk fully grown brother, well, I don't think they'd be as receptive to you." Light felt the tension in Sasaki's jaw as he clenched his teeth hard.

"Yes, Sasaki. Your little performance at Secrets Night was impressive, and I admit, it made me furious. So furious that I went digging myself. Did you forget that my father is a chief at the NPA? Did you forget that they had all of the coroners' reports just waiting around for me to get my hands on?" Light let go of Sasaki and stepped away in a smooth movement. "Or did you perhaps forget that if you fuck with me, I will fuck right back?" Sasaki was unclenching and re-clenching his fist and Light could feel the other man's bitten down desire to lay a hit on his jaw.

"It would be unfortunate. But they closed that case." Light shook his head.

"No, darling stupid little boy, they didn't. It went cold, but it was never satisfactorily proven that it was actually a suicide, that was the press' take on it. And since her supposed vandal boyfriend went missing three days after they found her, they never were able to successfully prove that it was even his DNA her baby had." Light gave a thoughtful pause. "But…they would be able to prove it was yours, wouldn't they? Same as I could ensure that they proved it was your clumsy little handiwork all over her murder." Sasaki looked shocked and Light knew at that moment that while he may be a horrible man who would sleep with anything while drunk, he was not yet a murderer.

Light found he didn't care.

"I- I didn't! Okay, I slept with her, but I would never _kill_ her. She was my sister!" Light gave him a small smirk.

"Honestly Sasaki? I believe you. Doesn't mean I wouldn't put you behind bars for it." Light took another step back and absorbed the sight of Sasaki's trembling and furious face.

"Now, I'm not going to tell anyone about this, Akio. As a matter of fact, while you can hate me in private all you want, to the rest of the class we're going to put our differences aside. But always remember that no matter what, I have the upper hand and I _am_ the better man."

Sasaki stood tall and took one last stab.

"My family has a way of getting rid of evidence Yagami. By even telling me this, you're guaranteeing that I can just cover it up better." Light shrugged and began to head out of the room.

"I have no doubt you'll just fuck up again Sasaki. And if you choose to erase the evidence of this time, I'll just guarantee you go behind bars the next time. The point remains- I would try not to incur my wrath from now on lest you enjoy limited TV times, horrible meals and ah…" Light glanced over his shoulder at the scowling boy. "Getting fucked up the ass."

And with that, Light turned off the lights in the small weight room and left, leaving Sasaki standing under the emergency light staring into the darkness of his own sins.

* * *

Author's Note- BAM! Another chapter of GCBC. I'm so in love with this chapter, I hope y'all like it. I know it's a bit of a departure from the tone of the rest of the fic so far, but within the context of the story as a whole I feel it really works. I'm in love with some of the stuff in this chapter guys, I am.

Also, I'm loving Mikami and Light. No, Mikami isn't gay (I can _hear_ your disappointment). Most people aren't, actually, and I feel that's forgotten a lot in lieu of having everyone just doing it on a regular basis. But in my world, Light and Mikami can be friends, and good ones at that. Also, a point I'm really keen on is that even in the middle of evil doing, people also live. Life is not a collection of really dramatic plotting, sometimes you just need to have a beer and laugh. Then plot evilly.

Anyways, Sasaki is such a dick, isn't he? I'm sorry, if anyone feels they're getting bogged down in OC's holla at me, but I'm just having fun with horrible people and rich problems. And...I love my OC's. Light's class of Shinigami are just excellent, excellent men. I'm in love with Kato, personally. "Light's gay." What a man.

Thanks for reading, as always- reviews make writing go faster. If I know how people feel about a certain plot line, it helps me decide where to go with it. So help me decide! And leave me love! And virtual wine that I'll later redeem at a cost to myself for real wine! Guys, make me buy real wine! Then maybe Tale will get an update!

**Edit-** Two small changes were made to the last scene for clarification because I wrote that scene at 6:50 in the morning after a very very long day. I made these edits now after a full 2 hours worth of sleep and 5 hours worth of work. Please review guys, the rest of my life is _hard_.


	5. Apples

**Disclaimer- **If I owned Death Note, dirty things would happen. Man sex and all. Sorry, I'm studying, I've got nothing. Um...porn porn porn? Touching of penises? Together? At the same time? They go tip to tip? Yes, that.

_Note to the Reader_- Dates. Important. You get it.

* * *

_October 2012_

"When was the last time you went home, Ryuk?" Light was lounging in his window seat, watching the pedestrians cross to and fro from his high rise view as he asked the question. The Death God hovered in the middle of his living room, interestedly picking up and putting down Light's various affects, taking a few minutes to closely examine a tennis trophy before answering.

"Centuries ago."

Light nodded and watched the Light that was faintly reflected in the window do the same.

"You must miss it terribly."

The Shinigami shrugged and began poking into Light's meticulously kept encyclopedia set.

"I wouldn't say I miss it." The Shinigami spoke carefully, considering the concept as though it was new. "It's a terribly uninteresting place, filled with rotting gods and rotting fruit." Light nodded and fingered the apple he'd kept stashed away in his sweater, feeling the firm fruit for a moment longer before pulling it out and throwing it at his metaphysical cohort. A loud crunch went up in the apartment and it was the only noise for another half hour.

They were wonderful companions.

Both quiet, bored and lonely, instead of seeking together to alleviate their symptoms, they had merely fallen in to suffering from them together and that had seemed to be the cure.

"Why do you want my help if you don't want to go home, Ryuk? What will you do then?" The Shinigami paused in his never-ending search of Light's things, rolling his head back to face Light's, only upside down. It had only been recently that Light had learned to not care whenever he moved in ways beyond even the most contorting of humans.

"I suppose I'll die."

Light took the answer in stride, meeting the God's stare straight on. That was one of the things Ryuk liked about Light, apparently. The inability to be fazed that had made him untouchable to so many drew Ryuk like an oversized moth to Light's burning flame.

"Do you want to die, Ryuk?" The Death God considered the question, quirking his head completely to the side as he did so.

"It would certainly be interesting."

Light frowned and stared back out the window.

"I'm going to get an apple mint latte, do you want one?" Ryuk swooped in close suddenly, filling Light's vision with gray skin and the faint smell of paper wafted near him.

"You are such an interesting human, Light Yagami." Light smiled and pushed Ryuk away with a playful shove, standing up and stretching out.

"Am I?" Ryuk nodded and followed him down the stairs outside of his apartment that let out directly across the street from a small café that had long since opened him up a tab. He ordered the two lattes and headed back, enjoying the warmth that came from the steaming cups in his hands.

He handed Ryuk his cup and settled onto his couch, flicking on the TV.

"Game's on." He said, and Ryuk sat next to him and they watched the running players swing their rackets tirelessly for a while before a loud commercial came on and Light hit mute.

* * *

_March 2013_

"Yagami Sr.? I saw both you and your son had put in department requests for the afternoon off before you were assigned to this case. Will that time still be necessary?" L spoke from a crouch in the corner as the team entered the suite and Light and his father exchanged surprised looks, each man wearing an identical eyebrows raised glance before the patriarch spoke.

"Yes, if you don't mind. My daughter is having her engagement party tonight, and we're expected to help sort the restaurant out for it." L nodded and dropped a few sugar cubes into his tea, making little cheer plops as flecks of the brown tea escaped into the air lest they suffer suffocation from sugar.

"Your daughter is engaged to a Hiroaki Kenji, yes? Graduated in 2007 with a degree in Investment Banking from Tokyo University, captain of the tennis team his senior year, placed 5th at nationals during his senior year?" Soichiro nodded and Light frowned as he pieced out where this was going.

"Would you mind if I came?" Soichiro stood looking stunned by the request, but Light had already processed out L's thought process. Hiroaki came from a rich family with a legacy of Tokyo alumni to their name. His family wasn't as powerful or as political as some, but they had been a part of the Japanese elite since before the turn of the twentieth century and he was almost certainly a member of Kira. Therefore, his side of the affair would most likely be rife with Kira members providing L with a veritable fish tank for L to observe unannounced the goings on and behaviors of his subjects.

Light should have seen this coming. Luckily, he thought best on his feet.

"Are you sure that's wise, L? You've never revealed yourself before this, and now already you're here with us. And now you want to add to that and go out in public?" Light's tone was concerned, but he covertly flashed L a smirk. A challenge was issued and L bit his thumb before taking it up.

"I'm sure it will be fine as long as the Yagami men don't decide to make me the guest of honor in lieu of my considerable accomplishments and covert celebrity status in the world of investigation." Light chuckled and Soichiro just smiled politely.

"We'd love to have you L. All of the other men are coming as well, so you are more than welcome." L thanked Soichiro, but Light could feel that his eyes were still trained on his suit covered back as he made himself a bastardized version of a café au late at the small coffee tray that had been put out for the detectives' use.

As his father moved on to talk to Aizawa, Light maneuvered back over to L's side.

"You know you're not going to be able to interrogate anyone there, right? And most definitely not my soon to be brother-in-law. You're going to have to behave. And change clothes." L gave him a bland look.

"I'm aware that this is not a jeans and shirt affair, thank you. I was raised properly, I will behave as such. Now, the only thing that should concern you about this affair is that if I take you out for lunch today, does attending your sister's engagement party count as a third date?" Light choked on his coffee for a moment, before letting out a snort.

"Looking desperate isn't something you care about, is it?" L grabbed his wrist and pulled Light down to murmur in his ear where the rest of the task force, still occupied with the wide array of donuts on display, could not hear.

"I just want to be inside you, I don't think it's too much to ask." Light grinned and felt his stomach do a little flip.

"Depends on where we go for lunch." He answered loftily and L released him as Matsuda came over.

"Hey Light! Can't wait for the party tonight! I hear you're going as well, L?" L nodded and reoccupied himself with his sugar cubes. Matsuda watched for a moment before making a face of distaste and began to talk to Light about how he should join the Intelligence Department's baseball team so they could play against each other.

"I'm not fond of baseball, Matsuda, I've told you a million times…"

* * *

Sayu was insatiable when it came to the decorations, and Light spent his afternoon running around behind her back making sure that her overzealous nature didn't turn the affair into a frilly catastrophe. Finally, he was able to head home to his studio apartment to shower, change and contemplate the night before him.

Hiroaki dating his sister had always been odd, but it was actually in Light's favor in Kira's estimation. The youngest Yagami was to wed and therefore become a part of one of their legacies, and Light's worth was once again reaffirmed through association.

Still, it didn't stop it being weird that one of his closer friends was now set to be his brother. He knew Hiroaki was a much better man than he could ever have wanted for Sayu, but he still had an instinctual reaction to gut him every time he saw them kiss.

But none of those thoughts compared to the fact that L would be running around Kira's elite tonight. Hiroaki's father sat on the board itself, and while Light was respectful towards the man, his hands had been stained red so many times it was a wonder they didn't remain pink at this point.

And while the plan was for L to get in close and take out Kira's top members, Light needed to make sure that L only came to the conclusions he had laid out for him. An unscheduled and lax affair with liberal libations like this could prove to be trying.

Not that he didn't have his ways of distracting L should the need arise…

Light smiled to himself as he recalled their lunch that L was determined to count as a date. They had snuck out under the guise of needing to go over some information at another location of L's and had wound up in a small bakery, nursing coffee and lingering over half eaten plates as they sparred over the minutiae of egg salad recipes. It had been the dumbest conversation Light had held in a while, and soon enough they had both been breathless laughing and garnering amused looks from the other patrons.

Light finished up his reverie as he exited his building, the chill of the door's mental hand lingering on his fingertips as he tried to hail a cab. Instead, a Rolls Royce pulled up to the curb and the window lowered with a familiar head poking out.

"Would you like a ride, Light?"

Light laughed at the sight, feeling the ill-used muscles in his face stretch as he held his stomach at the sight.

"Oh god, you are a trip, you know that?"

L just opened the door and Light slid in, enjoying sinking into white leather seats instead of dingy overused and under cleaned cab one. The ride over was quiet, both men in their own contemplations. Light didn't know if L was busy thinking over the case and the now present opportunities that his sister's party afforded him in terms of observing Kira, but Light was busy with contemplation of L. He looked good in slacks and a button up, and Light found to his surprise that he was just as anxious for tonight to count as their third date as L was.

When, exactly, had he turned into a crushing teenager?

* * *

They pulled up in front of the lit up restaurant, tiny sparkling lights twinkling prettily in the ivy that crawled up the white stone walls. L followed Light into the rented out restaurant, taking his lead as he headed up to where his mom and dad were already beaming in the center of the room as guests filed in.

"Hey Mom." He said, kissing her powdered cheek gently. She smiled and he let his father introduce 'Ryuuzaki', the outside investigator both he and Light were working with on their current case. L was polite and complimented her sweater and Light watched him bemusedly, sipping on a glass of champagne that had somehow wound its way into his hand by an overzealous waiter.

Light started a bit from his contemplation as he felt an arm being thrown around his shoulder before Hiroaki's familiar profile came up next to him.

"Heyyyyyyyyy brother." Light laughed and pushed him gently aside.

"Where's Sayu?" Hiroaki jerked his chin over to a corner where Sayu was enthusiastically talking to a giggling group of her friends, positively beaming.

"And who's your shadow?" Light looked over to where L stood a few feet away, looking misplaced as the rest of the taskforce had not yet arrived and Light's parents had left him to greet the groom's parents.

"That's Ryuuzaki, a friend from work. Ryuuzaki!" Light inclined his head and L lopped over to the, hands in pockets. He nodded politely at Hiroaki who smiled back.

"Congratulations on your engagement." He said softly, bowing slightly.

"Thank you. You're friends with Light?" L nodded and Light opened his mouth to confirm when Mikami slipped up.

"Hey you two. Kenji, your dad says not to drink too much before dinner and Yagami Sr. mentioned something about not wanting to arrest anyone for public drunkenness in his own family. Seems like Light has spread your reputation." Hiroaki laughed good naturedly and L arched an eyebrow at Light.

"In my defense, you were only my crazy tennis captain when they started to hear stories about you. I had no idea my sister would show such poor judgment and actually agree to date you." They all chuckled while Hiroaki tried to look long suffering. Light waited for the laughter to die down before turning to Mikami.

"Mikami, this is Ryuuzaki, a friend from work. Ryuuzaki, this is Mikami Teru- a college friend of Hiroaki's and mine." Bows were exchanged and Light could see L pulling up Mikami's file that was stored away in his head, noting all the particulars, eyes running down to the Rolexes that flashed on each of their wrists.

"You work with Light?" There was an edge to Mikami's voice, and Light felt a moment of discomfit as he tried to place the reason behind the tone.

"Only very recently. I'm actually just consulting on a case both of the Yagami's are working on." Mikami's eyes had definitely lit up, and Light was really beginning to feel uneasy.

"Really? So you're a detective?" L looked thoughtful.

"More of a private investigator. I mostly work behind the scenes and use police forces compilations of evidence to solve cases. Funnily enough, there's a relatively large demand for a fresh pair of eyes when it comes to detective work." L's story was a smooth blend of truth and half lies, and Light had to appreciate the craftsmanship at work.

"So you and Light must have a lot in common already, for him to drag you along to a family function?"

Hiroaki looked confused as to why Mikami was determined to quiz down their new acquaintance, but Light knew exactly why he was doing in and he was beginning to kick himself on the inside for his lack of foresight. He hadn't even considered L meeting Mikami, much less saying he was a _new_ friend from work. Mikami wasn't a successful law partner at twenty-seven for nothing. He had obviously made the connection between Light's date and his new friend and it was all Light could do to keep smiling and not stop what was soon about to become awkward.

"I'd say as far as I know that Yagami and I are of a relatively similar temperament. However, that's fairly common in the field. The need to have a strong constitution is practically a prerequisite." Light saw his opening and he struck.

"Speaking of our field, I did have a point about the case I was thinking about earlier this afternoon that I wanted to talk over with you, Ryuuzaki. If you don't mind…" Light smiled brightly at his friends. "Sorry guys, shop talk. I'll be right back." L followed dutifully after Light and they headed into a smaller parlor off the main dining half, where Light leaned up against the wall.

"Sorry, but Mikami wasn't going to leave you alone and I really don't think you came here to be investigated." L shrugged.

"It wasn't my intention to gain any attention, no, but I guess I must suffer for being in the Light." There was a beat of silence between them.

"I think that's the absolute worst pun I've ever heard." L clucked his tongue.

"It is not, that was classic humor right there. A sexual innuendo blended with a pun? Shakespeare would be proud." Light looked out through the open doorway and saw that Hiroaki and Mikami were now holding their own counsel with Kato, who had arrived with his girlfriend a few moments before. Deciding it was now safe, he gestured for L to follow him back into the main room lest Mikami begin to think they were doing anything inappropriate.

"Puns are the lowest denomination of humor; Shakespeare only ever included them so that his plays would be commercially successful. He didn't actually like them." L shook his head.

"Absolutely not. He thought they were funny and so do you, you just have a stick up your ass because I used your name. Puns are the basis upon which all humor is derived." Light paused in his step and turned to face the other man.

"Okay, you really _are_ full of shit. Where on earth did you draw that conclusion from?" L took a flue of champagne and began to use it as a teaching tool as he lectured at Light.

"Grammatical breakdowns and their unexpected meanings are the origins of humor. What is the easiest grammatical error? Homophones." They began to argue the point, with L referencing Chomsky in every other breath and Light arguing on behalf physical based humor and it was so utterly absorbing that Light didn't notice Mikami behind him until he heard a soft cough.

"Wow. I cannot believe I am hearing this argument." Light jumped and turned and Mikami laughed at him.

"I know, I can't believe I'm having it. Ryuuzaki, you're wrong." L took a sip off of his pseudo baton before replying.

"And yet while I have continuously referenced numerous linguists, the summation of your argument remains that someone falling on their ass is funny." Mikami snorted.

"I'm willing to prove it too, if you're willing to take a fall." L grinned and Light grinned back, not noticing, or maybe not caring, how sharply Mikami watched them.

"Light, whenever you're done arguing pointlessly, as I know you love to do, Kato and Hiroaki wanted to grab you for a second." Light nodded in acknowledgement and Mikami went back to where Kato and Hiroaki where holding court while their respective girlfriends were gushing in a corner with each other over the appetizers.

"Go. We can finish this later." Light smiled in thanks and left L to his own devices, which mostly seemed to include inching towards the as of yet untouched dessert table.

"You summoned?" Light knew he was in trouble the moment the groom and star of the room sent him an evil grin.

"Damn straight we did. So, tell us about Ryuuzaki. The truth this time." Light rolled his eyes.

"Mikami, is discretion not in your vocabulary?" Mikami shrugged nonchalantly and Light scowled at his friends. He wasn't exactly fond of discussing his love life, much less at a large social gathering where the majority of the guests were unaware of his personal preferences in partners. Still, he would get no rest unless he played along.

"We went to dinner last night and lunch today. We work together and get along well. He's quite physically attractive. That's really it."

Kato was grinning widely and Hiroaki and Mikami wore identical smirks. Light eyed them, hopeful that the matter would now be dropped.

"Your father sent me to find you, apparently that pittance of a dessert table is 'to be saved for after dinner and is not included in the appetizer portion'." L's voice was a bit sulky and Light sighed heavily as his friends exchanged glances.

"Hello!" Kato said brightly, sliding up next to L, who eyed him warily.

"Hello." Kato held out his hand in the Western tradition, apparently determined to set a good impression. L took his hand limply and looked pained by the very gesture.

"I'm Kato, I went to college with Yagami and the rest here. You two work together?" L just gave Light a look.

"Yes, Kato. We've established that." Light muttered and L let the tips of his fingers rest briefly on the small of Light's back, a small gesture, but it soothed Light nonetheless.

"We're currently working on an investigation together, yes. Unfortunately, it's all rather classified at the moment, so we're not at liberty to hash out the details." Kato nodded knowingly.

"Ah well, we're not really interested in work anyways. Tell us about yourself, Ryuuzaki." L had just opened his mouth to issue what were probably standard issue lies when Light heard a bright and chipper voice from across the room.

"Light!" Misa Amane was suddenly attached to Light's arm, and he stared at her with wide eyes, wondering who had invited her. She annoyed both Hiroaki and Sayu and since Light hadn't needed a date he hadn't thought to invite her. Had she invited herself, believing she would be welcome?

"Hello gentlemen." Sasaki walked up and Misa detached herself from Light's arm to reattach herself to Sasaki's. Light stared.

What?

Sasaki's eyes flicked over to L, who was observing Sasaki with a slightly cocked head.

"And I don't believe I've made your acquaintance." L shrugged.

"Probably not." Light smirked slightly as Sasaki looked momentarily unnerved by the rude reply, before smiling winningly.

"I'm Sasaki Akio, and you are…?" L took a sip of champagne and swirled it around in his mouth for a few moments before answering.

"My name is Ryuuzaki." L seemed unwilling to talk more, and had indeed immersed himself back in his glass of champagne, closing himself from further verbal obligations.

"Misa, you're here with Sasaki?" Hiroaki asked with painful politeness, and Misa nodded happily, squeezing Sasaki's arm like a favorite teddy bear.

"Uh huh! He's producing Misa Misa's latest album and when we met we just had so much in common! And while Misa Misa was still holding out hope that someday her and Light would be getting married…" She gave Light a longing look and he took an instinctive step back towards L. "Akio told me exactly why that would never happen. Misa Misa was upset at first of course, but now she can help Light find the man of his own dreams like Misa!" Sasaki grinned and winked at Light, who felt his jaw tense suddenly.

That fucking bastard.

That incomprehensibly bigoted jealous piece of shi-

"Dinner!" Sayu called out brightly, cutting through Light's bitter mental tirade. The guests slowly began to disperse, each finding one of the small tables to settle at. Light clenched his teeth, but dutifully followed after Hiroaki towards the main family table. L headed off towards the table where the other police officers resided that his name and chair had been crammed into at the last moment, and Light felt a pang as the other man left. He sat down by his father, face solemn.

"Are you all right Light?" Soichiro asked, casting his son a glance as Light silently worked his way through his first course.

"Fine, Father. Just a bit tired." Hiroaki shot him a worried glance over Sayu's shoulder and Light just gave him a tiny shake of the head to indicate to him not to worry. This night was supposed to be abundantly happy for the couple, and Light would not let Sasaki's petty little grudge and rivalry ruin that for his sister or his soon to be brother. No, he'd think of a way to put him in his place and convince Misa he was nothing but a liar by the second course…

But by the time L's long awaited dessert tray finally made an appearance, Light was still drawing blanks.

Bullshitting it was then.

After dessert, the tables were once again abandoned in favor of the large cleared area where drinks were served and groups of conversers could once again be formed. L appeared by Light's side immediately.

"Japan may have the worst desserts in all of the countries I have visited, and I'm working my way well into the three hundreds." Light just gave a tight smile, and L studied him for a moment carefully.

"I can have the Rolls pulled up in a matter of minutes if you would like to leave. I'm sure your excuses could be made quite easily." Light shook his head.

"No, I'm not going to let the foolhardy antics of a jealous man make me leave my own sister's engagement party. I'm just tired of him pulling the same old routine." L pulled a lollipop out of his pocket and began to suck on it thoughtfully.

"You could always just remove his ammunition." Light scoffed.

"I'm not 'coming out' or any such over-dramatic nonsense. Really, it's no one's business but my own whom I fuck. And I'm on the police force. It's in my best interests to remain fully in closet, door latched shut." L just shrugged.

"We should rejoin your friends." Light gave a disinterested look over to where Mikami and Kato had once again come together to conspire with their dates while Hiroaki tended to his guests with a beaming Sayu on his arm.

"Or we could go make out in the sitting room off to the side." L bit his lip.

"Yes, I like that one better."

* * *

L tasted like coffee and sugar and Light was enjoying his firm weight pressed down on top of him as they leisurely kissed.

They were keeping it slow, mindful of the fact that at any moment Light's phone might light up and summon him back into company where erections weren't appreciated.

But that didn't stop it from feeling achingly good. Light's fingers were tracing spiral patterns down L's jaw and neck as they kissed and occasionally the detective pull away and give a breathy laugh.

"When does this end again?" He murmured as he set off down the side of Light's neck.

"Another hour or so, they're supposed to be watching some slideshow of the happy couple and gifts and I think there might be more cake." L gave a small hum against Light's neck and he sighed, rising his hips to meet L's.

"Hmm, don't start that yet if you don't want me to finish it." Light chuckled and tugged L's hair to turn him away from Light's neck and back to his mouth. They kissed tenderly, long moment of warm pressure and flicking tongues and Light wondered why he hadn't done this is _so _long…

Light's phone went off in his pocket and he tugged it out to many grumbles from L.

"Yes?"

Mikami's voice came over the line, and he sounded a bit anxious.

"Where are you?" Light and L shared a look of mutual annoyance at the intrusion before Light answered.

"One of the sitting rooms, having a coffee and being anti-social. Why?" L had gone back to Light's neck and Light made a face at him to stop. It was hard to be horny and keep a steady voice after all.

"You're being asked after and it hasn't exactly gone unnoticed by Sasaki that you disappeared with Ryuuzaki. Get back here. _Now_." Mikami's voice was unusually tense and Light frowned at the phone.

"I've been summoned." He said, giving his phone a playful shake.

"Morons. Don't they know you're with a very important business contact. I'm L, you could be learning a lot from me right now." Light laughed and stood, straightening his clothes.

"Come on, _L_." He held out his hand and L took it while standing up, intertwining their fingers for a moment before letting go and slouching out.

* * *

Light rejoined the party, fixing on his brightest smile as he played the part of the overjoyed brother perfectly, graciously accepting the gushing comments sent his way about the perfectness of the honored couple. He laughed brightly, recalling the summers he'd spent interning at a law office during college that he had assumed Kira would let him join after he graduated before they'd whored him out to the PSIA and then NPA. He had been a master of the quick sell, easily talking clients into taking on their services and often having them hand over retainers twice the size they actually needed. He called those skills to the service now, leaning on them as a cripple would a crutch to keep him from stomping out and leaving.

He wanted to be kissing L.

Or maybe more.

Instead, he was once again accosted by a guest that smelled a little too strongly of perfume and alcohol and he thought for a fifth time that open bars were horrible things, both for the amazing cost charged to his parents just to have one at the party, and the recklessness it inspired in guests.

He was just finishing up kissing up to all of the wives of the Kira board members, politely listening to their idle country club gossip and nodding while smiling until it hurt when he heard a familiar drunken squeal.

Dammit, who had let Misa near the bar?

"Akio, that is just _too_ funny!" She was in full drunken star mode, all over exaggerated gestures and eyelash batting, with her voice projected across the restaurant's reception room as only one who had been taking voice lessons and stage lessons for years could do.

Misa may not be a star on screen, but in person she could captivate. Looks were tossed her way as she spoke, envious of the graceful small figure and natural charm that had tempted Light to keep her around for so many years, even when plastered. She may not interest him on any relevant level, but Misa had always been fiercely loyal and a good enough steady date to gain admiration and jealousy off of.

It was grating that Sasaki had seen fit to pilfer her. It was just another small attack in their long and convoluted history, personal and gritty the way he liked it.

Light was going to enjoy sending Ryuk to fuck with him for a while.

He glanced over at Sasaki Sr., seeing that Ryuk had finally seen fit to show up. He was tailing his proper master, looking for all intents bored out of his mind, but Light has seen to hide a large plate of apple tart where only the Shinigami, his nose, and his ability to phase through walls could find it earlier during the preparations.

Ryuk gave him the briefest of glances, a second of red meeting amber, before Light turned away and began to cross back over to where Misa was. He still needed to talk to her and get her the hell away from Sasaki. After all, not even the shallowest of actresses deserved that.

"And it's just so nice to see that your daughter is getting married properly, Mr. Yagami." Misa was rambling, holding the glass of red wine in her petite black coated nails. "After all, with Light not being able to, which is just _so_ sad by the way, but still you must be so happy! And I'm soon one day Light will be able to marry as well! Misa Misa has decided to make it part of her new platform as a more conscientious idol. All gays should be allowed to marry!" She raised her fist up passionately and spilled a splash of wine onto the white marble flooring.

Light's step halted and Sasaki looked like he had New Year's come early. This obviously hadn't been in the plan, by the look in Sasaki's eyes. No, the bastard had probably been saving Light's little secret until the wedding. But still, it was now happening and there was a news reporter to witness.

Fucking excellent.

Soichiro's eyes had gone wide and he stared at Misa like a gaping koi fish that had flown out of its pond in a bid for freedom and found out that freedom was not as sweet as its little bubble world of ignorance.

"I mean, Light is just too nice of a person to not find a great guy to love soon. As a matter of fact, didn't you say he was here with a guy tonight, Akio? What was his name?" Misa tapped her fingers against a pointed chin. "Ah! Ryuuzaki!" She said, slurring out the 'u' long and messily.

Soichiro was turning red and Light still couldn't find his voice. Surprised murmurs were beginning to pick up as Misa's voice carried through the room and Light could feel glances being shot his way as he stood, still ready to take the next step but finding his body unwilling.

"Well, we'd like to thank everyone for coming!" Sayu's voice was bright and jarring as she suddenly grabbed the microphone that had been used during the dinner toasts off a table and strode away from Misa and their mortified parents. "Unfortunately, our great wait staff needs to go home sometime this century, so…"

The party began to disperse to head home and Light felt a tug on the back of his jacket, small but insistent and he followed its source blindly until he was inside of the same sitting room he and L had been enjoying earlier.

"Well, that was a bang up ending." Hiroaki muttered, running a hand through his trusseled black locks. Light just nodded dully.

"You know Light, I'm beginning to think it would just be a good idea for you to give up your crown."

That stopped the inward spiral that Light had been sliding down into and he stared at Hiroaki in shock.

"Excuse me? You're the one who's been telling me to hold out for Chairman for years now. I'm not about to give that up just because Sasaki likes to play little games." Hiroaki looked away for a moment, and then bit his lip.

"Look, Light, I love you like a brother. Hell, in a few months we actually will be brothers. But as a member of your family, I'm going to be brutally honest. My name cannot be associated with someone that the Sasakis are determined to tear down at every turn. Now that you're out, they're only drag you further down with other shit. Give up the game, you lost it years ago." Light took a step back and stared at Hiroaki hard, feeling the calmness that came with genuine anger slide over him like a comforting blanket.

"I appreciate your concern and I apologize if associating with me is tarnishing to your exemplary reputation. But as it were, it's my decision. And I refuse to cave to such petty ploys." Hiroaki stood straight, tilting his chin up to match Light's height.

"This isn't just about you, Light. Think of Sayu. Think of my family's name. Just step down before we have to remove you. It can be done, and I'm sure there would be plenty of support for it."

Ryuk was suddenly standing in the corner, having emerged from the wall as Hiroaki spoke. His arms were crossed and he watched Hiroaki with sharp eyes, a neutral gleam descending over ochre eyes. He glanced at Light as though asking what Light intended to do.

"Honestly Hiroaki? Don't do this. I have so much on your precious family's name that being associated with me will look like charity work compared to what I can pin on them." Hiroaki snarled and turned away suddenly.

"You know, Sasaki's right about you. You're a bloody selfish cunt who thinks he's better than the rest of us and you'd sell all of us out if it meant keeping your own agenda alive. I don't know what I was thinking, asking the mighty Light Yagami to sacrifice something he wants for a friend." Light chuckled and Hiroaki looked disarmed for a moment before scowling so deep that the tracks of it would linger on his face for the rest of the night.

"And you're a moron who can't see the entire picture without a frame. Grow the fuck up Kenji, this game has been much larger than both your little family name and Akio's smarmy set-ups for years now."

"Meaning what?" Hiroaki had gone defensive, crossing his arms resolutely over his chest, determined to believe that Light wanted nothing more than his own glory.

"Meaning underestimating me would be an unfortunate thing for you to do." Light began to walk out of the room, calling out over his shoulder.

"Oh and Kenji?" Hiroaki glared at him, not saying anything.

"Fuck you."

Light left to Ryuk's laughter.

* * *

**Author's Note**- Whoosh! I'm on a freaking GCBC roll! I know, I know. This chapter is thick on drama, but light on real plot. But guys, there is so much like, forshadowing and set up and coming out...I can't even be mad at myself. I actually wanted to keep on going, but then decided that I'll just throw it into the next chapter as this one was getting long. Really, this chapter and the next one are both continuations of Ch. 3, in the whole tone/dramaz/OC count. We'll get back to the plot once I've laid my pieces out properly, I promise. Also, this is Act 1. Actually, this is more Pre-Act 1. Act one really begins at Ch. 6 and ends around Ch. 10-11. THEN the second act and REAL drama begins. Oh my.

But yes, Ryuk! I love Ryuk. So much. So much love for the Shinigami. Mad ups to him. His story will be properly delved into as well, but the hints are out there for any clever kiddies. Actually, it's pretty glaringly obvious what his story is, but I'll throw in flashbacks anyways.

So yes, things we've learned-

1) Wordbombs has no standards and will keep scenes in her fics because they make her laugh her ass off

2) Wordbombs secretly loves her OCs and while fearful of reviewer retribution, is also cackling madly at their antics. Mostly because she loves it when Light gets shit, but then drops his trousers and shows off his impressive dick and says 'Suck it all you bitches, I am awesome'. Because really, the poor boy has a lot of jealous people trying to tear him down. But he doesn't take it. No sir.

3) Wordbombs will in no way be passing her finance test tomorrow.

4) Wordbombs was excited to read all of her reviews, and is so very pleased with you lot after the last chapter. Thanks guys! The support means a lot!

5) Wordbombs has the most amazing manicure right now. It's Chanel's khaki vert on the fingers, and OPI's Show It and Glow It on the thumbs so I bling while texting. Don't know why you'd care, I'm just a braggart.

Hugs, kisses, man sex. Peace! 3


	6. Coffee

_Disclaimer_- I do not own Death Note, but Easter is coming up, and I'd even accept it as an early Christmas present. Come on, you know you want me to re-write DN. You're all thinking it. Mansex guys! There'd be no dying and all mansex! (Hah, I'm a liar, there'd still be dying).

_September 2012_

Light watched on as Hiroaki opened the capsule and poured it neatly out onto the polished black wood, the white powder catching the light and reflecting it out so that it almost looked illuminated in center of their booth- a promising beacon of immortality and eternal youth- or to at least feel like it for a night.

He pulled out his card, the one that Light knew tied directly into his father's account since Hiroaki still hadn't gotten a job, and began to cut the powder neatly into lines.

"Sure you don't want in, Yagami?" Light shook his head as he always did at this point and watched as Kato rolled up a small yen note at Light's right to use to get the drugs in nice and proper. Next to Kato's side, Mikami was doing the same and Light felt a painful moment of displacement.

He didn't belong here, even among his best friends and sometimes the knowledge of that was jolting. It wasn't a particularly special weekend, the group was doing their usual stint of flying around the Roppongi district, hopping from the latest spot to latest spot, grabbing life by the balls and generally enjoying being smart, rich, and good looking- the trifecta of perfection for youth in Japan same as anywhere else. It was a blast for the other three and this night, like all of them, would end with several new over-exaggerated stories and jokes to laugh over at one of their more tame weeknights spent at an overpriced restaurant serving undersized dishes.

Light thought his face might crack from the pressure he was putting on his fake smile.

They all took their lines, complaining about the weakness of the coke as they went and Light glanced away at the flashing strobe lights that occasionally passed over their table that was situated in the darkest corner of the VIP lounge- as always. Alcohol was ordered when Hiroaki suddenly leapt up and grabbed a waitress that was clothed in the tightest gold lamé shorts Light had ever seen outside of late night music videos and Light put in an order for a beer, needing something to take the edge off, but still bitterly aware that he was the one responsible for seeing his idiotic companions home by the time dawn swept onto Tokyo's streets.

Hiroaki ordered tequila. Typical.

Light watched the shots brought to their table disappear down greedy throats as women begin to flick interested looks their way. This was the overture to their night, the first brush of strings that started with drugs and alcohol and usually ended in crescendo within a rented out suite in the Hills Mori Tower with everyone covered in bruises and spills of indeterminate nature while putting in room service orders for cucumber water. Light just couldn't fucking wait.

Mikami was the first to abandon their booth for the ever alluring presence of Kiyomi Takada, who had just arrived looking pristine in an appropriately short shift that caught the eye of the whole upper club with its flashing fuchsia sequins. It was obviously expensive and she wore it like it wasn't, which was a skill Light could appreciate if the woman wasn't such an insufferable bore. Not to mention she'd stolen away his companion least likely to annoy Light while blazed out of his respective mind. Cunt.

Kato was doing something creative with his napkin, folding it into some origami shape to entertain the women that were now hanging over his shoulder, when they'd arrived Light wasn't sure. He was apparently building up a zoo and Light merely passed along his silver embossed napkins that proudly proclaimed they were at the illustrious 'W' club to his friend. Kato shot him a wink and Light took another sip off of his beer.

Light's cell phone went off with a buzz against his hip and he glanced at the ID for a moment before abandoning his disinterested perch to jump into the private washroom, available only to members with a key and invitation from management. Light wasn't actually on the small list that made up the W's invited elite, but Hiroaki was and Light was playing key holder since Kenji had a habit of getting drunk and giving out his copy to whatever woman he found hottest at the moment.

"Yagami." He answered and he heard Penber's laugh on the other end.

"Light, it's me. Stop with the stick up your ass formalities." Light chuckled and glanced back at the door to make sure he'd locked it before settling down onto the small couch that was included in the overly sumptuous wash room.

"Had to be sure, Raye. What have you and the director got for me?" There was a clack as the phone was dropped and Light heard the shuffling of paper before the phone was picked back up.

"Sorry about that, hard to flip through the file and handle this beast of a touch screen without hitting the mute button every five minutes. I swear, I hate it. I don't know how you deal with living in Japan and getting a new one every ten minutes…" Light chuckled politely, but felt anxiety climb up as he waited for Raye's report.

"Alright, here it is. Mind you this is just Skull and Bones stuff here Light, not actual FBI information. We're trying to keep this strictly between Kira, us, and the Apostles. And you're sure Sasaki needs to track L down? We've heard he's been using Coil for most of his work." Light smirked and he leaned his head back against the brushed golden metal wall as he inwardly rejoiced at his own cleverness.

"Yes, I'm sure. Please hurry Raye, I have a limited window here." The FBI agent made a 'hmm' of agreement before beginning to read off what he'd managed to track down about L, giving Light the last pieces to fit into the puzzle of his plot.

"Thanks Raye, I'll inform my Chairman immediately. We really appreciate this and of course, as promised, Yamamoto will secure that weapons contract with the FBI at thirty percent below market value." There was a slight whoop from the overly outgoing American and Light made his goodbyes, wishing after Penber's fiancé Naomi in his last breaths before they hung up.

Light grinned, feeling a sudden upswing in his mood as he checked his reflection in the lit bathroom mirror. Really, Kira had made it too easy for Light to swoop in under the Board and begin to take control. They'd already assigned him off to the NSIA to keep an eye on Japan's most dangerous intelligence department that was actually without Kira control, when they'd decided to make him play messenger between the American Skull and Bones and the British Cambridge Apostles as he was 'already out of the country so often anyways'. Sasaki Sr. had meant it as a slap in the face, to reduce the great Light Yagami to playing messenger, but he had merely fallen into the dictator's trap of creating his own enemy and then handing him his best weapon. Light had taken to his role graciously, and was now trusted enough by both organizations to send along false messages and requests that went completely unnoticed because all of the organization's respective leaders were too paranoid to communicate through any other medium other than Light.

It was as simple as it was genius, and it had made finding L and securing copious amounts of information on the mysterious detective almost irritatingly easy. Not to mention, Light also had access to all of his NPA and NSIA contacts as well, so much so that all of the information he'd gathered without lifting a finger of his own was so broken up and fragmented among his sources that only Light could make sense of it all.

Suddenly, drinking sounded fun.

Light headed back out to his booth to find that Hiroaki had busied himself by talking loudly to Light's sister on the phone and begging her to show up while Sayu was probably making excuses that she couldn't, she had to get up for rehearsal, etc. It was a scene Light was used to since the two had taken up together. He took the phone, told Sayu to ice her calves from dance practice and then go to bed, and hung the phone up.

"You are such a fuck up, Hiroaki, honestly I don't' know why I put up with you." Hiroaki merely widened his eyes and blinked hard at Light.

"If my sister weren't such an idiot to be a dance major and I was worried about it because she has the artistic depth of a chimpanzee, I really wouldn't let her date you. As it were, becoming a trophy wife is well within her abilities, so I'll continue to let it happen." Light genuinely enjoyed this part of the evening, the part where everyone around him was so fucked up on shots taken in far too quick of succession and lines of coke taken in far too large of quantities, that Light could say whatever he wanted and not worry- no one would remember in the morning. It was the best kind of stress relief.

"Really, I kind of hate you actually. At times you're tolerable, but you can really be a fucking waste of space like the rest of them for the most part." Light said brightly and smoothly, leaning back and observing the man before him who was nodding along to Light's pleasant tone as he sipped his gin and juice while trying not to collapse on their booth's hard stuffed seating. Light wondered what drink number he was on.

"Born with money, talent, and a brain before you deep fried it in drugs- and I'm probably still going to kill you off with the rest of them just because you've turned out to be such a fucking disappointment. Did you know I used to look up to you? That I considered you to be like a brother? _Moron_." Hiroaki frowned.

"Who's killing who now?" Light just waved his hand.

"No one Hiroaki, you're tweaking." Mikami was making his way back towards their table now, red faced and hair dampened with sweat. Takada was trailing behind him, and she stood behind as he leaned forward over the two of them.

"Headed home with Kiyomi. You boys have fun. Light" Mikami's arms wrapped around Light's shoulders from behind and he pushed his drunken friend off. "Try to have fun, eh tiger?" Light glared at Mikami, who gazed coolly back despite the booze wafting off him like expensive cologne. Out of all of them, Mikami was the only one who could remain bitterly sharp while completely intoxicated. "Don't act like you're above a few drinks. Loosen up." Light then received a flick on the ear and wrinkled his nose at it.

"Yeah, yeah." Mikami pushed off and left, Takada curling under his arm as they went.

Light let Hiroaki black in and out for a while as they sat at the booth before Kato eventually re-appeared, round faced flushed and breath coming in pants as he sat down next to Light.

"Let's get home, I think I'm being stalked by a high school girlfriend down on the main floor." Light agreed with ten kinds of enthusiasm he hadn't shown all night and he helped pile Kato and Hiroaki into a cab each, giving the drivers specific directions to get them to their penthouses and fistfuls of bills pulled from each man's wallet. Finally alone and relieved that the night had actually petered down into a much quieter finish than usual, not to mention he'd received an update on L, Light began to walk home slowly.

Each breath was enjoyed as he made his way through the flashy streets, finally able to enjoy the company of other people so long as he could stand firmly apart from it.

He was met by a sudden sweeping of wings and he glanced up to see Ryuk had joined him, probably finding Light instinctually after his master had gone to bed after his own night of deviant behavior that was now kept to private hotel suites and ordered in whores.

The grown up kind of debauchery.

They moved along slowly, Ryuk's wings becoming a welcome and invisible umbrella as a mild drizzle set down as the constantly flashing virtual clock on several of the TV screens on the sky rises hit three AM. Ryuk slowed his flapping, gliding along only on the faintest of breezes so Light would remain covered. Light glanced up and smiled at the Shinigami in thanks.

* * *

_March 2013_

Light was settled into the familiar contours of Mikami's couch, nursing a beer more tenderly than a mother with a newborn.

"He's a cunt. A sister-fucking cunt." Mikami's laughter wafted out of the kitchen along with the inviting smell of Thai take-out that he was shoving onto plates

"I admit, he acted like a cunt. But that doesn't mean you get to be a baby." Light turned, staring incredulously at Mikami as he walked into the room and handed Light his plate before settling onto the couch as well, sitting cross legged to face Light, who was casually stretched out and leaning against the arm rest.

"I am not acting like a baby. I am acting like a man who has been stabbed in the back by Brutus and is now dealing with Marc Antony giving him lip service." Mikami chuckled.

"I think I get to be your Brutus. I feed your poor public servant ass way more than Kenji does. Not to mention I sit here and deal with you when you bitch and moan and feed your god complex." Light let out a snort and ate a shrimp coated in some spicy red sauce delicately for a moment before answering.

"You would have gotten to be Brutus, but you're not the one that jumped me and shoved the knife in after Sasaki had his little performance. And it's not even April! They could have at least waited a month until the wedding and done it up proper on the ides." Mikami choked on his noodles and the combination of the spice and muffled laughter brought tears to his eyes and Light stared down at him over his nose until he regained control. Mikami swilled down half a beer to soothe his now aching throat before speaking again.

"Either way, it doesn't matter. He said something bastard-like in anger, you made idle threats in anger, you'll both pout for a week and then play a game of really vicious tennis to make up. He didn't mean it and you know it, you just like to pout." Light narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I made idle threats? I don't recall saying anything I don't mean." Mikami frowned.

"Then what exactly did you mean that the game is bigger than Sasaki? Last I checked, he was still the big bad thorn in your paw." Light adopted a far away gaze, the overly dramatic kind Japanese television had taught to his generation as a way of knowing when someone was privy to detailed information.

"How much can I trust you, Teru?" The light from a lamp in the corner hit Teru's glasses for a moment, obscuring Light's view of the other man's eyes.

"How much? Light, you're my best friend and you know it. Hell, you're going to be my best man- current high society social pariah or not." Light smiled then, soft and warm with the corners of his eyes turned up.

"Good. Because I need to brag about this right now." Mikami laughed and Light grinned lazily at him. "You know Ryuuzaki?"

"Am I about to hear a sex story? I thought you had awkward coming out dinner with your parents last night, not hot man sex." Light flipped Mikami off before answering.

"No, we haven't had hot man sex, but trust me, I'll text you once we do." Mikami nodded curtly and Light paused to pretend to consider his words carefully.

"He's L, Teru." Mikami's eyes widened and he stared agog at Light. Apparently, L was well known in the attorney district, or maybe Mikami had even more access to Kira's secrets than Light suspected.

"And he wants me to work for him."

Light ignored the glance Mikami sent his phone in the moments after his declaration and he feigned ignorance after Mikami stole away into the bathroom for longer than usual, his phone subtly disappearing along with him.

He ignored the slightly cold waves that came off of Mikami for the rest of the night because he was too busy purring with contentment inside like the lion Mikami had compared him to earlier.

* * *

"Chief Yagami, may I talk to you in private?" Yagami frowned with a bit of a protective parental aura around him and he glanced over at Light, who was currently imitating Near's cat back in England by lying around on L's couch doing absolutely nothing of use.

"Of course L." L motioned for Yagami to follow him into one of the suite bedrooms that wasn't being put into use.

"I would like to talk to you about your daughter." Yagami looked surprised. That clearly wasn't the child he was expecting to be talked to about. L made a mental note to drill Light for details about the aftermath of his sister's engagement party before just drilling him.

"She is engaged to a very prominent member of Kira. It might come to pass that he will be placed under extreme suspicion, if not outright arrest by the end of this investigation." Yagami looked shocked and indignant and L waited for the protests to begin flowing out.

"Hiroaki is a great boy, L. And while I trust your word, you've already accused Light of being a member of Kira when it wasn't true." L slumped his shoulders slightly.

"Trust me on this one Chief. I only want for your family to be well prepared for whatever might occur at the end of this investigation." Yagami nodded and murmured out his thanks and L left the room to enter the sitting room again, finding Light's amused eyes across the room.

"How goes whatever you have been so intently working on for the last two hours, Yagami?" L asked, walking over and peering over Light's shoulder to see a half completed New York Times crossword puzzle lying across his knee.

"Oh very well. I'm making all sorts of really important breakthroughs." L smirked and leaned closer, smelling that light cologne that L had first noticed when they had been entwined on this exact couch days before. L contemplated kicking the rest of the investigation team out and going in for a repeat performance.

"Hmm, yes, I can see that. That one's Aristotle." He said tapping sixteen down. Light's mouth made a cute 'O' of realization and he scribbled in the answer. L stayed over Light's shoulder for a few more moments, answering the riddles that Light was struggling with- most of them revolving around extensive knowledge of either abstract English beyond his skills or American culture that L had only gleamed from Mello and Near's penchant for the absolute worst movies. Mello swore up and down that he only liked them for the curvy blonds that usually starred in crappy American cinema. Near had just stared pathetically up at L and said he missed home.

Idiots. L didn't miss them at all.

It was only once they were through half of the empty spaces that L realized his investigation had come to a standstill as most of the taskforce was busy covertly staring at himself and Light.

"I believe it is time for a lunch break." L announced. Matsuda snickered.

L shooed the team out by waving around one of his credit cards and telling them all to spend a few hours at a local grill known for its house brewed beer and delicious eel.

Light had stayed, and L had jumped on him immediately. They kissed furiously and L began to undo Light's pants within minutes.

"I am not fucking you when my father is due back in two hours." Light said prissily, even as he raised his hips to let L pull down his pants.

"Oral doesn't count as real sex, weren't you ever a teenager? This is common knowledge." Light laughed until his chuckles turned to moans.

* * *

"Light, I know I told you I was okay with your choice in…partners." Soichiro said as he and Light walked out into the gentle night out from the hotel. Light lingered by the corner meaningfully and Soichiro stayed with him, continuing to talk. "And I meant it. Your mother and I will continue to love you no matter what. You're our son and we will never stop supporting you." Light was beginning to feel like some pamphlets had been read after he'd left the two hour family 'meeting' that had occurred after the usual early Saturday dinner he often shared with his parents and Sayu.

"But just because I'm okay with you being…homosexual, doesn't mean I want to see it on blatant display at work." Light almost started at that, annoyed that the people in his life just kept on being determined to draw him into the most awkward of conversations at every turn.

"Blatant display, Dad? Don't you think that's a bit dramatic?" Soichiro frowned and in a brilliant moment of life showing a sense of humor, a familiar Rolls Royce rolled up next to the pair as they were talking.

"Light, we have reservations." L said in too familiar of a tone, learning out and laughing at Light with his eyes as Soichiro stared and gaped.

"Excuse me Dad. I have plans. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Light slid in after L opened the door and shut it as his father remained still on the sidewalk at what_ had_ been a rather blatant display.

"I don't think he's happy with us." L muttered drolly, staring back.

"I don't think we should talk about my father for the rest of the night if you retain any aspirations of 'being inside me'." Light answered back, feigning more ill-nature than he could actually muster as the car sped off towards the restaurant district.

"Fine. Anyways, I don't much care for familial drama. I wanted to ask you a question. Do you have any tennis plans for the weekend?"

They chatted comfortably all the way into the restaurant, snorting at each other's bad jokes and enjoying the easiness of the conversation. Light settled into their booth while L told a wonderfully embarrassing story about Thailand and a masseuse and a horrible misunderstanding. Light was trying not to laugh too loudly because they were at a rather nice restaurant with waiters in proper ties and pressed white shirts, but L was making it hard as he detailed out what had happened after the 'masseuse' had given the fateful order to 'turn over on your back'.

"And he was very attractive underneath the makeup and dress, but then I had to arrest him and it was all just awful…" Light lost it at that and cracked up into his water glass, inhaling lemon water painfully up his nose as he laughed. He excused himself to the bathroom and L let him go, laughing himself at Light's rather ungraceful display.

Light had just shut the doors when a familiar brush of feathers ran alongside his back, cutting through his clothes as Ryuk materialized through the door. It was always interesting to be around the Shinigami when he phased, he could cut through everything but flesh and his touch always sank straight to Light's skin if Light happened to be too close when he appeared in a room.

"Fancy meeting you here." Ryuk said, grinning at Light in the bathroom mirror as Light met his eyes through the glass.

"I take it Sasaki Sr. is dining in a private room?" Ryuk nodded and Light scowled, turning and facing Ryuk properly.

"Oh don't pout now, you looked like you were having so much fun." Light rolled his eyes and turned back to the mirror to begin fixing his appearance and easing the sting of lemon up his nose. Ryuk watched him as he always did, and Light grinned at him crookedly once he was done.

"You're not allowed to come by tonight." The Shinigami just chuckled.

"Sasaki lets me watch." Light stared at Ryuk, horrified, and Ryuk laughed as Light clutched his stomach and considered that it was a very good thing he hadn't eaten yet.

"I've been in the human realm a long time, Light. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen sex. I've even been on a few porn sets." Light sighed and stared at his cohort, wondering if the odd revelations about Ryuk's adventures would ever stop surprising him.

"Still, you're not going to be around when I'm having sex. Can't you tell how embarrassing that would be?" Ryuk shrugged.

"I'll be by once you're done then." Light nodded and slid past Ryuk as he left, watching him melt back into one of the other rooms as he made his way back to L through the long maze of the restaurant.

"Everything all right? You took a while." L asked and Light smiled at the fact that a Caesar salad had been ordered from him in his absence. L had obviously been paying attention during the few meals they'd shared.

"Fine, I just ran into a good friend on the way back. Now, I'm really interested in what the pimp said after you threw his best 'girl' in jail."

* * *

L was impressed by the impeccably kept apartment. It was muted and demure, but had flashes of color hidden in rich fabrics and Light's presence was so tangible in the smaller details that L almost wanted to stop Light from coming back from the kitchen with wine so that he could have more time to inspect and see the nuances of his soon to be lover shining out in everything from the books laid by the window seat to the two china coffee cups that were laid out on the glass table in front of the couch. L frowned at that, the same as he'd frowned at the game station that was still sprawled out lazily in front of the TV, all exposed wires and sloppy placement that just seemed out of turn for Light.

There was more.

There was the way the room smelled of apples, and the hidden away car magazines that had been shoved under a throw pillow as an afterthought.

The room décor was all Light, but it was though someone else had dropped their own touches in while he was away. It made L a bit uneasy and it must have shown on his face because as soon as Light re-entered with rose moscato in tow, he frowned.

"Something wrong?" L just picked up a magazine with a 1972 Triumph Spitfire , on the cover and arched an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you were into cars." Light chuckled, looked at the magazine fondly, and tossed it back onto the chair L had snatched it up from.

"I'm not, I have a friend who is though." L's frown deepened.

"And he keeps his magazines here?" Light handed L his glass and settled onto his couch, patting the cushion beside him as an invitation which L accepted after a pause.

"He's my neighbor, they were delivered here on accident and he comes over anyway to get away from his wife and play video games, drink some coffee, and look at car magazines so we agreed they might as well stay here. Now don't be paranoid, it doesn't suit you." L kissed Light then, realizing maybe that the best remedy in this situation was to shut up and make out, and apparently Light agreed by the way he put both their glasses down and welcomed L to push him back onto the couch.

Moments later L had Light's hips in his hands and Light was leading them backwards in the dark into his room and L loved the way Light moaned his name as L's fingers undid the clasp on his belt for the second time that day.

They found themselves tangled in each other quickly and L breathed hard into Light's neck as he filled Light, and Light was keening out gasps and it was all going beautifully well for a first night together. L came hard and then Light followed and they both recovered for a half hour of lazy talk and many a passed compliment about 'excellent hip work' before Light claimed L and L enjoyed the foresight in Light dressing the bed in satin as his back became intimately familiar with the sheets.

Finally, after another post-coital session of kissing that had petered off into Light struggling to stay awake and L struggling to fight the temptation to spend the night, L got up and began to find his clothes.

"See you tomorrow." L said, pulling Light up from his bed into another kiss and Light murmured an agreement and something about them needing to take an extra long lunch break again. L laughed and kissed the other man's sleepy temple before shutting the door to the bedroom softly and leaving quite contentedly to the street where Wammy and his Rolls awaited.

He checked the messages on his phone after entering, and couldn't even by put out by the message left for him by Matt that was barely discernable and seemed to be about Mello and Near doing something to his office desk. Had they burned it? Is that what he was saying?

No, he was saying it needed to be burned?

Well that couldn't be right. L shook his head, hit the delete button, and lay back in the Royce to go back to dreams of soft lips.

* * *

Light was glowing with contentment and good nature towards the world as he filled his and Ryuk's coffee cups the next morning, the Shinigami watching him with open amusement.

"Stop staring, it's rude." Ryuk just flipped a page of his latest magazine and snorted.

"You're humming. I haven't heard that in a while." Light found that he was, and he was surprised by it.

"Still, no reason to stare." Ryuk's eyes were on him again and Light met them this time, daring the Shinigami to taunt him. Instead, he leaned forward until he and Light were almost nose to nose.

"Light, have I ever told you that you're a very romantic kind of boy?" Light laughed and pulled away, stealing Ryuk's already empty cup as he went and automatically reaching to refill it from the coffee maker he kept going the entire morning. He ran a very caffeinated household, it seemed even the plants along his kitchen wall grew better off the rich smell floating through the air.

"No, I don't think you have. Why does it matter?" There was a bristle of feathers and more silence and Light didn't mind because he was busy reliving the better parts of last night before his morning shower.

"Don't fall in love with him." Ryuk said suddenly, and Light frowned as he made sure he'd heard right.

'Excuse me? Don't be silly Ryuk, I'm not going to fall in love with him." Ryuk just shrugged, and Light watched with fascination as he always did when the Shinigami imitated human movements, being almost the right shape but just alien enough to pervert the sentiment. The shrug was more of a shake and Light laughed a little at it.

"You have a tendency to fall in love, Light. It's one of the reasons I chose you." Light's stomach clenched and he felt an inexplicable moment of panic and he answered without thinking, only just managing to catch his tone and make it pleasant, like keys that were about to fall off fingertips and then suddenly didn't.

"Don't flatter yourself, Ryuk." Ryuk smiled a bit, and there were heartbeats in the pause that followed that Light was sure he could hear but the Shinigami just finished his coffee.

"I'll try not to, Light."

There was a rustle of wings, and Light was suddenly alone, frowning at his kitchen table and wondering where his morning calm had gone.

* * *

_Author's Note_- Anddddddddddd I think my pieces are in place! Woo! There are a lot of little little things in this chapter that make me happy. Like, whenever Light lies, he tells this whole story and it has detail, but when he tells the truth, it's usually very clipped. I'm quite content with bad L was too horny to pick up on it.

Overall, this was a 'building' chapter since next chapter shit goes down, but there's a lot of foreshadowing in the relationships and details if you look close enough. And I finally got to write more Ryuk! Weee!

But yah, can I get a high five for mansex? Also, to all you loyal readers, I love you, but I did want to warn you that it should be pretty obvious by now that my fics are rated M more because I say fuck and cunt a lot and less because I do detailed sex scenes. At some point, if it pertains to the plot, I'll get all 'detailed', but it's just really not my thing. Plot comes first, which is LAME, I know, but hey- that's why you love me right? *crickets*.

Please review! Reviews are like my happy drug and I need a hit because the next couple of days/weeks are gonna suck. I'm trying to get published in a school publication, so I'm going to really be slowing down the updates on here and instead reading, reading, reading and trying to write very artistically and actually be a good writer for once. It's going to be painful, but I might win $1000 out of it to pay my speeding tickets and alcohol bills and you WILL benefit from me forcing myself to write more like a proper author and less like a fanfiction one, so please be patient. That being said, I wrote up two pages of Tale instead of doing my homework last night because I had some lovely images dancing in my mind's eye that wouldn't leave.

And **B**, my dark little mirrored twin that crawls backwards and bites my tongue? This is present two. (Hahhhhhhhhhhh! I so just called you out on ffn, that's what you get! This is what payback is!)


	7. Wings

Disclaimer- I own nothing but a night of no sleep thanks to this fic.

* * *

_March 2013_

"Do we want Jojoen or Belvedere?" Mikami asked after Hiroaki arrived ten minutes after the previously agreed upon time, before taking another puff off of his cigarette. Kato looked up from texting his latest girlfriend and glanced in between the other two men. They were gathered at their usual spot, outside of Mikami's now closed office and the night was cool on their cheeks and Mikami's tone was impatient to their ears.

"Is Yagami joining us?" Hiroaki asked. Mikami shook his head and blew out a column of smoke that lingered hesitantly in the chilly air a moment, before flying off to new adventures.

"Belvedere then. We always do Jojoen." Hiroaki answered, hands in leather pockets to keep out the cold.

"I like Jojoen." Kato said.

"You only like Jojoen because Light likes Jojoen, and he only likes it because he's too poor for Belvedere." Hiroaki replied and Mikami snorted.

"Whatever. Just make up your minds so I can call my car." Kato sighed and acquiesced.

"Belvedere's good." Mikami made the call, and they found themselves in Mikami's town car, passing around a joint as the driver sailed easily through into the Shibuya district.

They were sat at one of the restaurant's coveted four tables that overlooked the city, using Hiroaki's name to get there even though Mikami saw a disheartened couple looking longingly after their table at the maître d' stand, the man's pocket bulging out with more than carnal expectations.

"So what are we doing, a six-course?" Hiroaki asked, scanning the menu expertly while leaning back in his chair with the kind of feigned ease that was meant to look natural and unaffected. He could pull it off. Kato attempted to imitate him, and tipped his chair back a bit. Mikami focused only on the wines list and ignored his still silent cell phone.

"Sounds fine." Mikami answered, putting aside the wine list in surrender. Hiroaki nodded smartly and put in their order to the slightly bowed waiter with flourish, making wine choices for the table with the natural ease of a man who'd been doing so legally for almost a decade, and illegally for much longer.

"So where's Light?" Kato asked, turning towards Mikami expectantly.

"Working." Mikami answered as salads were beginning to be placed on the table. Hiroaki snorted and waved away the waiter

"Yah, working his way into bed." There was an awkward pause.

"It's only 7." Kato said, frowning and speaking at the table.

"Well from what Sayu says Light has spent his last week working with Ryuuzaki, and then eats with Ryuuzaki, and then fucks Ryuuzaki." Hiroaki's tone was snide and Mikami took a hard sip off his wine, which had been delivered to the table by a ghostlike team of waiters along with the salad. Hiroaki's choice was disappointing and Mikami wondered if the other man was high enough off the joint they'd shared to not care if he put in another order.

"I'm sure Sayu is no doubt an expert of her brother's sex life, but Light told me he was just plain working tonight. I'm sure the sex show will wait until at least ten." Mikami said, deciding that the insult was worth the wine and waving over a waiter.

"And I'm telling you what Daddy Yagami sees every night as he leaves work to go home and cry in disgust over at the family dinner. I've heard PDA in the workplace is an issue." Kato looked up from the table.

"Shut up Kenji. You've never had a problem with Light being Light until it looked like it was going to spoil you're good time. Don't be such a dick." Mikami toasted the sentiment with his new glass of wine. Hiroaki stayed silent.

"Speaking of Ryuuzaki, I have some disturbing information that we need all need to talk about." Kenji glanced at Mikami and it was Mikami's turn to frown at the inoffensive table.

"If Light is fucking him on the regular, which I'm not disputing he is, just the timeline of the fucking, it's more because of who the man is than any genuine sentiment."

The salad was replaced with pasta and Hiroaki speared through the noodles pensively before answering with reluctant lack of knowledge.

"Meaning what?" Mikami just glanced at his phone that was still dark against the white tablecloth.

"Meaning Ryuuzaki is L. The L. And Light's not only working for him with possibility of a serious promotion, but he's fucking him too." It would have been a wonderfully dramatic moment, but instead Kato just looked confused.

"Who's L?" Mikami glanced over.

"A very powerful detective. He's the leading consultant for all of the major civilized countries police divisions, almost a one man Interpol only with a one hundred percent success rate. He can even talk directly to world leaders as the fancy strikes him. All in all, he's dangerous." Hiroaki was still uncharacteristically silent.

"Damn. And why, exactly, haven't I heard of him?" Mikami shrugged.

"Internationally agreed upon discretion. He's apparently the coup d'état for police organizations, but like all geniuses, he's a finicky bastard who only works when the fancy strikes him. The bad PR in that sort of attitude alone is enough to want to keep him out of the limelight, but then you add in that you have one man solving all of the world's major crimes and all of a sudden the law enforcement agencies of the world start to look incompetent."

The waiters seemed to pick up on the heavier conversation and brought heavier food to satisfy as Kato chewed over Mikami's words and roasted lamb.

"And I'm guessing you know of him because of Kira? And you too Hiroaki?" They both nodded, glancing instinctively down at the Rolexes that covered all three of men's wrists, but only two crowns were hidden under the gold faces.

"Well fuck." Hiroaki said at last, more to the shining city view than his tablemates. "Have you confirmed it?" Mikami finished his wine.

"It's a bit impossible to confirm, but yes, I sent some men digging and it doesn't exactly look like an empty claim- what the fuck kind of music are they playing in here?" They all paused and look accusingly towards the kitchen area as the opera music swelled and played out around them and the other patrons in loud, Italian waves.

"This is why we never come here, remember?" Kato said, a bit smug now that Hiroaki was listening to the escalating soprano with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah, whatever. So Light's fucking L and that explains why he was all smug faced even after Sasaki ousted him at my engagement party. Now what?" There was a pause and the omnipotent waiters offered up dessert.

"We wait. And trust that Light knows what he's doing." Kato said, digging into the cannoli that was delicately balanced over mango sorbet. Mikami nodded in agreement at Kato before adding his own feelings.

"We not only wait, we protect. Light is playing a dangerous game, but he's our friend. I'm not even supposed to be telling either of you this, so keep it to yourselves and we'll makes sure Light stays safe."

"What is he doing?" Hiroaki asked, glancing at Mikami.

"Personally, I think he's finally trying to leave Kira. L wants him to work for him and Light didn't exactly sound disappointed at the idea." Hiroaki looked satisfied at that and dug into his dessert with a smile. They ate in silence for a few moments before Hiroaki looked up at Mikami.

"You know Teru, keeping this from the council isn't going to be looked on favorably on your end if they find out." Mikami leaned a bit away from the table, shrugging.

"Then don't let them find out, Kenji. We agreed. We trust Light and his judgment. The both of us decided to give him kingship so that he could change Kira- maybe he's in the middle of doing just that." Hiroaki shrugged and finished up his dessert, waving at a waiter to bring the check.

"You've been so protective of him since his accident. You do know he has a mother, right?" Mikami rolled his eyes and threw his card down with a decisive clatter into the waiting tray and before Hiroaki or Kato could pull out their own he passed the small holder that held the bill back to the waiter.

* * *

_February 2008_

"I am so fucking wasted." Light said to nobody and to everybody. Mikami grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him around and they twirled, laughing as music streamed out of the open house door as they hit the night air.

"Dude, yeah, you so are." Light snorted.

"Shut up, you are too." They shared a glance and broke down laughing, holding their sides together at split seams. Light rested his head on Mikami's shoulder fondly, and they tracked around in a swirled pattern down the street.

"Hmmm, let's go to your place." Light said, pointing somewhere south of where Mikami's apartment actually was.

"Why, can't make it to yours?" Light shook his head adamantly and the world tilted for a moment before Mikami's arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him back up.

"Nope. Nope. Your couch and my back and my back have a date that I'd hate to miss." Mikami laughed much more than was appropriate and hailed them a cab.

Light slipped in and out of consciousness as they drove, high metabolism sling shooting him past pleasant drunkenness and straight into a drunken stupor. By the time he'd reached Mikami's he was once again nearing sobriety, and crashing waves of very near sleep were taunting him as they stumbled in. Mikami was still drunk and pulled Light into the kitchen and away from staring longingly at the couch to open more beers. He drank them quickly and Light refused as an aching tiredness settled into the corners of his mind where alcohol had soaked in earlier.

"When's the last time you got laid?" Mikami asked suddenly. Light blinked.

"Tour of Europe, like….oh fuck, almost a year ago." Mikami nodded knowingly.

"Yah, you've been acting it." Light frowned, wondering if it was he or Mikami that wasn't making sense.

"Um…what?" Mikami laughed.

"You act like you need to get laid. You're all uptight and no fun unless I can get you drunk. And while I love revisiting my college days by party hopping with you, I really would like to spend a Sunday without a hangover." Light rolled his eyes.

"I am just fine, thanks." Mikami shook his head stubbornly.

"No, no you're not. So, I have a proposal so we're both happy." Light tried to look quixotic, but wound up just looking like he needed to throw up.

"And that is?" Oh, no. Light actually felt nauseous. Maybe he did need to throw up. He contemplated that for a moment and missed it as Mikami moved forward and pressed their lips together. It lasted long enough for Light to gasp in sudden realization and Mikami to slip in tongue before Light pulled away with a staggered step.

"What the fuck, Teru?" Light's voice came out as a yelp and he immediately tried to regain ground as a man by looking as sternly as possible at Teru, who was just looking at him amusedly.

"You need to get laid. I'm willing to lay you. You're a bottom right? Then I can pretend you're a chick and we'll both be happy." Light took a very brief leave of his senses as he slowly rolled Mikami's words around in his head.

"The fuck?" Mikami laughed.

"Come on, I'm hot. And you're kind of pretty. Besides we're friends and friends help each other out." There may have been a twisted logic in the statement, in some bizarre alcohol infused world, but Light's lips were still tingling and he felt too wrong footed to be forgiving.

"No! No, a hundred times no! Teru, I am not going to _sleep _with you." Now Mikami looked politely confused.

"But you like guys." Light closed his eyes for a moment, learning against the granite countertop for support as the world wobbled in the dark.

"Yes, but not _you_. You're one of my best friends!" Mikami sipped his beer.

"Exactly! So we'll fuck while I'm drunk and then you'll be all happy again, and hey- I need to get laid too, so I'll be happy again. It's brilliant logic, really. I just want to make you happy Light. You need someone to watch out for you. I'll always watch out for you." Light grabbed Mikami suddenly and dragged him to his bed, pushing him onto the navy blue comforter that bunched up as he bounced down hard.

"Hey. Hey, no, I'm supposed to be on top." Light shut the door and was on Mikami's couch, burying his head into his arm and wrapping himself in a throw blanket, asleep before Mikami could molest him again.

Somewhere in the back of Light's mind, he was touched at the sentiment, even if it had manifested itself in a horribly misguided gesture of friendship- but mostly he was still a bit drunk and dead tired. So Light crashed and reminded himself to remember in the morning that in spite of his utter idiocy, Mikami Teru was a rather devoted friend.

* * *

_April 2013_

L pulled Light into him as dawn peeked through the drawn curtains. The man's smooth skin was nice to lie against as horns serenaded the waking up of the city. Light turned suddenly in his sleep and was face to face with L, almost completely tucked away in the overstuffed hotel comforter except for a small tuft of hair and a barely kissable bit of forehead. L took up the challenge and pressed a small kiss against the bang covered skin and Light shifted closer, now mumbling about coffee.

"Are you actually awake, or is your need for coffee so extreme that you're on about it even in your dreams?" Light nuzzled into L's shoulder.

"Both. Get me some fucking coffee." L laughed, pushed away the last of Light's bangs and tipped the other man's chin up to kiss him properly.

"I'm sorry, did I wear you out?" Light pushed L off without answer and got out of bed to search for coffee himself, pulling on his pants as he went. L let him, playing voyeur in bed to Light's cursing as he searched for the shirt L knew was crumbled under the covers by his own feet. L eventually tossed it to Light and he harrumphed and left the room, coming back minutes later with coffee for the both of them.

"I need to seriously start keeping some shit here." Light muttered after he'd gulped half his drink down in one neat sip and had started again searching for the overnight bag he'd insisted on having when L had picked him up last night for a little bit of a dinner and a lot of bit of sex.

"Move in then. You work here, you fuck here, you sleep here. I'm not going to begrudge you a drawer shelf." Light chuckled and laid out his clothes on the fold out iron L hadn't known existed until Light had discovered it and ruled L's room acceptable for sleepovers.

"Grab a shower while I iron then I guess I'll shower, then we'll get breakfast and get to work. Did the sex give you any great ideas like you thought it might?" L snorted and finally rolled out of bed to pad towards the shower.

"No, but it did take my mind off of our astonishing lack of leads. Ask Watari to prepare breakfast for the team, will you? I want everyone full and happy for when I announce I'm bringing in my own agents."

L heard Light drop the iron in shock and his curses followed L as he stepped into the shower.

* * *

_May 2012_

"So you write someone's name down in this notebook and it kills them through a heart attack?" Light asked, thumbing through the notebook in front of him. It was filled top to bottom in different handwriting that had centuries of deaths recorded meticulously as though it belonged to a really morbid accountant. This was the third time the two had met in the twilight filled meeting room as Light examined the Death Note and Ryuk stared out the large windows as sentinel.

"That's pretty much it." Light nodded vaguely in acknowledgement of the answer before looking at Ryuk suddenly.

"Can I see your Death Note?" Ryuk's hand paused over his hip before he pulled out his own, sliding the notebook across the table towards Light. Light picked it up and inspected the differences for a moment, noting the graceful ways Ryuk formed his English characters, before sliding it back.

"I've never been asked that before." Ryuk said. Light shrugged and continued his inspection of the paper. He had long ago memorized the names, the texture, even the smell of the Death Note, but holding it seemed to let his mind wander around the rules Ryuk had explained to him the last time they had met.

"I ask a lot of questions." Ryuk nodded.

"I know. I've been watching you for a while." They sat in silence for a few moments more while Light let the paper slide over his fingers.

"Why a heart attack?"

Ryuk noted the gleam in Light's eye and smiled slowly.

"There are two necessary components to death- cessation of flow of blood and cessation of breathing. A heart attack is nature's answer to both."

Light stared intently at the book for moments longer.

"Once you've been killed by the Death Note…it doesn't work on you any more, does it?" Ryuk snorted.

"Of course not. You're already dead." Light glanced up and smiled back at Ryuk.

"Exactly what I wanted to hear, Ryuk."

* * *

_April 2013_

Hiroaki stared across the table at Sasaki who was still on the phone with a shrill Misa Amane. Her voice carried even through minute speakers and Hiroaki was growing more and more annoyed at the fact that his lunch was being interrupted by the drama of a TV star.

"Sorry about that. She's a bit high maintenance, guess that explains her and Light getting along." Sasaki said, hanging up and tossing his phone onto the middle of the white table cloth carelessly. Hiroaki shrugged.

"That's great. Look, I need to speak to you about something rather important." Sasaki nodded, but then turned and waved over their waiter and began to order a large amount of appetizers. Hiroaki waited until he was done, winding his cloth napkin through his fingers impatiently as he stared at the man across from him.

"So, what's up?" Hiroaki glanced around a bit before leaning in to take a sip of water to loosen up his throat a bit. He had made his decision a week ago. It was time to go through with it.

"Yagami's trying to leave Kira. I think he might even be selling us out to international forces." Sasaki's eyes widened and his mouth fell open revealing a very disgusting half eaten oyster.

"You're fucking shitting me." Hiroaki shook his head impatiently.

"No, Mikami told me about it and I'm not supposed to tell so keep it quiet. That man, Ryuuzaki, the one he's fucking? That's L. The _detective_."

Sasaki sat pressed to his seat by the weight of the words as Hiroaki felt his stomach curl in anticipation. He didn't really want to be sitting here with Sasaki, the man disgusted him. But Light had finally gone too damn far and it wasn't Hiroaki's job to protect him from the consequences of his actions like Mikami seemed to think.

"I'll have a talk with my father." Hiroaki nodded at the expected answer, murmured something about needing to make a meeting, and left Sasaki at the table, surrounded by food.

"It has become obvious to me that this case has stalled." L said, staring out at the men of the taskforce with perfect, polite blankness.

It was telling of the mood of the men that there wasn't so much as an eyebrow of raised protest. Not even Matsuda, with his constant flow of pep talk pulled from the depths of a truly optimistic soul spoke to correct L, and L took that as an affirmation that he was doing the right thing.

"With that in mind, I have decided to bring in three of my own personal task force to aide our investigation. Though they can be unusual, I ask that you show them the same respect you give me as these men are among the brightest thinkers in the detective world and are very good at their jobs." There was a pause and coffee was sipped by all.

"When will they arrive?" Yagami asked, flipping open his file.

"This afternoon. For now, let us continue." Each man nodded and returned to his self-assigned station, retracing the same steps they'd been over for the last month as L quickly discovered that Kira was very good at hiding their crimes in plain sight.

Light had warned him a week into the investigation over dinner that it wouldn't be easy to trace any of Kira's wrongdoings. He'd also warned that his personal inclusion to the investigation would mostly be to 'look sexy and complete the crossword', and while L had laughed it off, Light seemed rather determined not to aide in the capture of fellow Shinigami. When pressed, he'd merely pursed his lips and muttered something about not being able to break the rules, before distracting L by taking his shirt off.

Light took up his post on L's couch and L settled in beside him, sitting cross-legged so that he could rest his laptop across his thighs. Light sighed and rubbed a hand across his chest a moment later and L glanced over.

"You okay?" Light nodded, but then shook his head as he winced and rubbed his chest.

"Still get sore every now and then. Deep seated aches and the like. I'm fine." L leaned over and gently rubbed Light's back and he smiled back at L.

There was a slight cough in the corner nearest the now-permanent coffee bar and L held back his laugh as Light rolled his eyes at his dad, who was watching the two of them with slightly raised eyebrows.

"I'm going to take a smoothie break." Light announced to the room and he gave L an expectant glance as he left.

"I'm going to watch Light take a smoothie break." L also announced after a few minutes and there was a smattering of laughter from the men as L made sure to grab his wallet as Light had left without his own, and followed Light out the door.

Light was waiting for him by the hotel elevator and he pulled L in and into a kiss as the doors swung open.

"You know, I'm beginning to think being around you so much isn't good for me, Mr. L" Light murmured, against L's ear as he settled into L's arms that wrapped around his waist familiarly.

"Hmm, do explain." L queried as he held Light tight.

"Heart transplant patients aren't supposed to seek out company that makes our heart beats skip so often." Light murmured leaning in to kiss L as the elevator dinged their arrival to the ground floor.

"Is that so? I make your heart skip?" Light just smiled at L and L felt his own heart skip. It was then that he was hit with an immutable fact.

He was absolutely in love with this man.

Idly keeping their fingers intertwined, Light pulled L over to one of the many small food kiosks that offered fine dining and a built in McDonalds at the bottom of the mall underneath the hotel L had chosen for the week. Tokyo wasted no vertical space, and within the huge building could be found a movie theater, designer clothes stores, and an actual pet store. This particular one offered smoothies, and Light was known to be a hopeless addict to their lychee, taro, and cherry blend. It was too tart for L's taste, but they did have a hell of a strawberry cheesecake dessert smoothie.

Light ordered and L paid and they sat at one of the small tables that littered the mall's courtyard. It was still early, and they could actually hear the bubbling of the indoor fountain as they sat and sipped away at their morning snack.

"So who all is coming from your team? You never mention any at home agents." L shifted and wondered how best to describe his main agents.

"They're very…capable men." L finally said, and Light grinned as he bit his straw.

"Meaning they're quirky as hell and have egos to rival yours?" L wanted to protest because he enjoyed arguing with Light, but unfortunately the man was absolutely right.

"Well deducted." L finally decided upon and Light laughed.

"Back to work?" Light asked after a few more moments of them both chewing their straws in lieu of sipping the now gone smoothies. L reluctantly agreed and they headed to the elevator with hands still intwined.

* * *

Light lay on his couch, eyes closed determinedly as he slowly willed himself to breath and un-tense the muscles in his neck and shoulders that were twitching with anticipation as he waited on Ryuk. Finally, he felt the softest brush of feathers against his arm as Ryuk settled in next to him, lying parallel and floating as though held up by an invisible couch pressed against Light's.

"Well?" Light asked, keeping his eyes shut for the moment before he had to open them and spoil the illusion his mind was now making of Ryuk's close presence.

"Hiroaki and Sasaki talked. Sasaki said he's going to go to his father about L. They think you're trying to sell out Kira." Light nodded and smiled, turning so he was face to face with Ryuk.

"I told you, Ryuk. Human beings can be horribly predictable at times." Ryuk chuckled and Light closed his eyes again and listened to the sound as his shoulders slowly relaxed with the firm knowledge that his plan was completely on track thanks to Mikami's over concern and Hiroaki being slow to forgive a grudge.

"How are you feeling?" Ryuk asked after he was done chuckling, and Light cracked an eye open irritably.

"Fine, Ryuk. It's been months, I'm absolutely fine. I swear, between you and L, not an hour goes by that I'm not being harassed about my health." In protest of the conversation, Light turned so his back was to the Death God and Ryuk murmured something about touchy and delicate humans before taking to the ground to lean against the couch and begin to pull out video games.

"Speaking of L, isn't this normally a work hour?" Light turned back around.

"Yes, but he kicked us out at lunchtime so he could welcome his team in and get them settled before we all meet tomorrow morning. The investigation's going nowhere anyways. As you know, it's rather hard to find evidence of foul play when the Death Note's the cause of all of Kira's murders." Ryuk shrugged and finally chose Mario Tennis.

"Are you playing or napping?" Ryuk asked and Light pulled a throw blanket over his head in answer. The last thing he heard before falling asleep was Ryuk saying that Light would have lost anyway.

* * *

L wasn't sure what to make of the situation that had arrived in his hotel room after the men of the taskforce had left and his own cohorts had arrived looking travel worn and windswept.

"You two are dating?" There was a shift of guilty feet and a lot of awkwardly avoided eye contact before L received an answer.

"Kind of." Mello finally replied, staring slightly above L's face as Near and Matt watched on from the couch.

"And you cemented your newfound lust for each other on my desk?" L prompted again.

"For the record, I did call you and tell you the desk needed to be burned right after it happened and I was unfortunate enough to walk in on it." Matt spoke up, and L stared him back down into silence.

"It was a very drunken, spur of the moment thing L." L sighed and leaned back.

"Near, did you two get anything on my computer that would merit having it replaced, bearing in mind that it is the only one of its kind and I had it customized for our work purposes at great personal expense." Near seemed to think for a moment, before shaking his head. Finally, L gave his ruling on the matter.

"You two are both idiots. You deserve each other. Funnily enough, I have also found time during my investigation to enter a relationship, so I ask only that I never walk in on you two fucking." Mello in particular seemed delighted to still be in L's good graces after fucking on his desk that there passed a few moments in which L wasn't questioned about his earlier proclamation of romance.

That ended as soon as Watari brought the tea in and L's words fully sank in to jet lagged minds.

"Wait, who are you seeing?" Matt asked around a watercress sandwich.

"A man on the taskforce, you'll meet him tomorrow. Although I suppose by then you'll have hacked your way into every file of his out there. Speaking of, now that you've arrived and I'm feeling suitably awkward at the new change in workplace dynamics, I think I'm going to go ahead and visit him. I was planning on keeping you lot company, but now I'm thinking I'm going to go ahead and ask you all to book your own suites because the only person getting laid in these rooms will be me." They all nodded and L pulled on a jacket in respect of the fact that he hoped not to be arriving back home until very late.

* * *

"Light, wake up." Ryuk was poking Light's side and he let out a snort as the Death God hit a particularly ticklish spot. There was a moment of pause before the spot was hit again carefully and Light wriggled away pulling his blanked over his head as a protective shield as he waved in between dreams and reality.

"I don't respond well to demands." Light muttered and it earned him a light crape of nails down his ribs as Ryuk's hand cut through the fabric of his shirt.

"Light, L is coming up your stairs." Ryuk murmured into Light's ear and Light shot up in response, trying to flatten his hair as air pounded into his lungs as he tried to wake up.

The door bell rang as Light managed to untangle himself from his blanket and throw himself towards the door.

"My minions are fucking." L greeted him and stepped inside as Light tried to make his brain move at its normal speed without any caffeine.

"My Shinigami is leaving." Light answered and L glanced at him oddly.

"I thought we were playing a game." Light clarified as Ryuk stayed resolutely on his couch.

"No, no we're not. Did you just wake up?" Light nodded and took a hand to his hair once more, though L had seen it mussed and had been the cause of its mussing more times than Light cared to tally at this point.

"Yes, why? Do I look that off?" L shook his head and moved towards Light's small kitchenette, taking out the small aluminum espresso maker and turning on the tap water.

"No, you just mumble about Shinigami a lot in your sleep. Are you secretly a Bleach fan that's upset over the shit ending?" Light just let that one go as Ryuk gave him a questioning look.

"You talk about me in your sleep?" He asked.

"No." Light answered to both.

"I'd understand if you were, at your age it must have been a rather huge deal as you grew up. Also Naruto, but you don't strike me as the Ninja type." Light rolled his eyes.

"I read Prince of Tennis in the Weekly Jump when it first came out, but I was never much into manga." L brought over the miracle that was a proper espresso with cream over to where Light was standing and Light made eyes at him as he did so. Light was so easily won over by a firm set of abs and caffeine.

"Speaking of, I was going to ask you to play tennis, but now I'm learning towards thinking fucking is just as good of a workout." L murmured dropping a kiss against Light's cheek before taking to Light's couch. Light gave Ryuk the tiniest of glares before joining L, sitting next to him with Ryuk pressed against his right side.

"Did your neighbor visit?" L asked, leaning forward and picking up the empty Mario Tennis game case. "I'd like to meet him one of these days, seeing as you two are such good friends." Light nudged Ryuk's thigh.

"Yeah, he was here earlier this afternoon." L nodded and then suddenly turned to press Light down onto the couch to kiss him. It was a very L move and Light was glad he'd anticipated it enough to put the dregs of his espresso down, but it didn't stop the fact that Light was now firmly pressed in between Ryuk's thighs as the Shinigami shifted his position quickly to accommodate the now entwined men.

It was perhaps the most awkward situation Light had ever been in. It seemed L was determined to have Light on the couch as his hands were now undoing Light's belt and Ryuk still hadn't left. Light made a gesture with his hand, meeting the Shinigami's eyes desperately.

"I'm fine." Ryuk answered and Light glared at him.

"What's wrong?" L asked, running a hand up Light's thigh and tenderly circling the muscle with his thumb.

"Nothing, love. Just thought I saw a fly. Damn pests." There was an emphasis on the last sentence that L wasn't meant to understand, but he didn't seem bothered by it as he slowly pulled down Light's pants and set about kissing the inside of Light's calves. Light wavered in between glaring and enjoying the attention as L ascended, dropping a careful kiss on Light's tented boxer briefs before moving upwards and pulling off Light's shirt. His fingers danced across Light's ribs and Light sighed contentedly, forgetting for a moment his Shinigami audience until he felt Ryuk's thigh rub against his bare side as soon as L left the tender area. He stiffened suddenly in more ways than one and L took it as a good sign to go ahead and pull down his underwear to let the now straining erection free.

"I'm going to get an apple. Make sure he leaves soon." Ryuk said, abruptly ghosting up as Light was taken just as suddenly into L's mouth and it was all very confusing for a moment and all Light could do was moan and stare flustered after the retreating Death God.

* * *

_June 2012_

Light walked in the rain, Ryuk not bothering to offer his wings as cover as the skies cleaned Light with their tears. They were quiet and Light was cold, but the both continued on.

"Write it." Light instructed and he felt the Shinigami stiffen angrily beside him. The air of a long unfinished argument suddenly arouse as the Death God answered softly.

"And if I refuse?" Light turned and stared at Ryuk impassively.

"Then you'll die. And I don't want that." Light hit the streets end and pressed his hand up against the pedestrian crossing button.

"What makes you so sure I'd die? I might just not save you when the time comes." Light glanced up into the dark skies.

"Can you honestly still promise me that Ryuk? Could you ever?" There was a large flash of lightening and Light smiled at the good fortune that the weather had turned out so fitting for the occasion.

Ryuk gave no answer, and instead Light heard the gentle scratching of pen on paper.

The crossing sign flipped on and Light stepped out into the road, walking confidently and tall until the moment the motorcycle flew around the corner hit him in the middle of the road sending Light flying onto the roof of a car stopped at the light, ribs cracking and puncturing through his lungs and crushing his heart.

The motorcyclist hit the curb, flying through the air to where he snapped his neck upon impact.

Light gasped as his vision blanked, weaving in and out of consciousness until moments later an oxygen mask was placed over his face and he fell asleep to the sound of sirens.

* * *

Author's Note- I can just _feel_ the confusion. It's okay m'dears, I promise there is both plot and substance in this chapter, it's just really well hidden by me being a douche bag. It's all coming to a boil and soon things will make sense and you'll all go 'oooooooooohhhhhhh' and then I'll start up the _real_ plot. *evil cackle?*

This chapter almost didn't happen without **halfpromise** who is my one true twin and without whom I haz no plot direction, so cheers to her. Are you happy now? Do I win all the friendship points? Is this the happiest wake up present ever?

This chapter is also in honor of **Withershins** who I poked and prodded and asked awkward questions to because I value her opinion, but don't spoil her with all my plotz like I do with Beta and HP.

Tell me your theories, tell me your dreams. I'm really really interested in what y'all think is going on and I'm not taking 'I don't know! *wobbles*' as an adequate answer. C'mon. I wanna know.

Also, Tale and Russia are coming, but I have _real world shit_ to do. I really should have written my research paper instead of this, but that's life and I'm irresponsible. I also have several contest stories I'm working on, and I'm trying to start a non-profit organization and am frantically putting together a dossier to present to potential board members. All of this while training as an elite athlete and working. My life is _crazy_ and while I'm not saying you should all love me for updating at all...I kind of am. C'mon. C'mon. I'm boss and you all know it. ;) But really, Tale is half done, I will be updating soon. MAYBE if I received like, fan art of Mafia!L, this whole process would go a bit faster. _Just saying_.

Love y'all. Thanks for reading my wordbombs! ;)


	8. Beds

Disclaimer- I own an iPad! But not Death Note. Or mansex. I do, however, own an iPad. Just saying.

* * *

Ch. 8

Light's first thought was that coffee would rid his mouth of the awful cotton taste that lay heavy on his tongue and burrowed in between his teeth, deep into the gums. He could see a gleaming, hot mug of the saving brew even with his eyes shut tightly against the invasive kind of white light that he'd never have chosen for his own apartment, which meant he was in someone else's house. Probably Kato's- even with the kind of money the man got off the interest from his trust fund, he still had no sense of the finer details that turned a penthouse from a masturbatory display of wealth into an actual home. His furniture had been chosen and arranged with the practiced hand of an interior designer hired by a secretary with no clue about who was talented and who was just expensive, and Kato's complete lack of presence yet complete satisfaction with his own home was the reason Light's lip was currently curling at the thought of being in it. Who had decided to lend his obviously hung over and alcohol-beaten self over to Kato? It was a well established tradition that if Light was stupid enough to get himself blitzed beyond control that he was to be handed to Mikami, who would put him up in his guest room with the Tempurpedic mattress and feed him soup and generally worry over him until Light felt well enough to leave. Light shifted and felt cheap sheets rub against his legs and he winced internally at the thought of lying in a bed designed by some blue eye shadow wearing pretender clambering on about feng shui while Kato's secretary nodded and reported back to her boss that she was secretly in love with that the apartment looked great, really classy. Another shift and he realized that even if Kato was a tasteless bastard with a tart of a secretary, his guest room at least wouldn't smell like antiseptic and have a background beeping cutting through into Light's thoughts.

Where the fuck was he?

He'd had dinner at Les Enfants Gates, which had proven to be just as excellent as the Tokyo Michelin guide had said, but the overall ambiance had been soured by the fact that Hiroaki had been held up at a boring social engagement put on by some press function for his father's company. Light didn't know why exactly Hiroaki had gone, seeing as he was dead set against joining up with his father's firm, or any form of job really, but he hadn't shown and they'd been forced to fill his seat with Tanaka, who Kato actually preferred to Hiroaki. He'd been invited by Kato against both Mikami and Light's wishes and the conversation had been halting and awkward because even Tanaka, who was just too thick for Light's tastes, had been able to pick up on the fact that he was just there because the reservation had been for four.

After that, the four of them had set out to go have drinks at a popular bar down in the Roppongi district, and Light had left as soon as the words 'blow' and 'good time' had come up, walking out into the night determined to catch a cab and head back to his apartment where Ryuk had joined him earlier than usual and starting chastising him and arguing with him about…something.

What had it been?

Light had been walking along the dark street, murmuring discretely into his jacket collar as Ryuk swept and twirled behind him and it had started to rain down and Light had been pissed off because he was dressed nicely from the restaurant and didn't have an umbrella. But then he'd realized that even though he was dressed nicely and it was raining, he'd meant to sacrifice this whole outfit anyway which was why his nice Brooks Brothers leather shoes were tucked away in his tan leather attaché case and he'd changed into a fake-leather pair that he'd bought cheap in one of the standing carts in an outdoor market, paying with cash to a man who had given him a big smile with missing teeth while smelling far too heavily of sake and tobacco.

Why had he done that again? It wasn't Light to go buying cheap knock-off shoes during his parsley thirty minute lunch break from the monotony of the NPA.

It hit Light and his eyes flew open as he remembered the motorcyclist smashing into him and his flight through the air and into a waiting car windshield that had cracked as he smacked against it, the slivers biting into his back as his cracked ribs sank into his lungs, choking Light with blood rising up his esophagus as his eyes had fluttered shut while Ryuk stared at him and gently stroked the hair out of his eyes.

He was met with the stare of those glowing red eyes now, the Shinigami's face uncomfortable close to his own, his distinctive smell of apples masked by the overpoweringly clean smell of the bright hospital room that Light was lying in.

"Light's awake!" He heard a familiar voice chirp too excitedly for the mere act of waking up, and his sister shared a face with Ryuk for a moment as she leaned over him and merged into the Shinigami, long hair brushing against his arm that was currently by his side and hooked up with an IV that hung over his shoulder like a life-giving shadow.

His father and mother soon joined Sayu's side and peered at him with anxious faces that both held identical bags of puffy skin under tired, blood shot eyes. It was a look he was familiar with on his father's face, but seeing his mother look as beaten and worn as his her NPA director husband gave Light a momentary start of guilt before he was hit upon the fact that if he was even seeing his mother again, it meant only one very important thing. He wasn't dead.

"Oh god, Light sweetie, how do you feel?" His mother immediately followed Sayu, and she pressed dry fingertips to his forehead and swept his bangs out of his eyes like she had all of his youth, and Light could feel the tension she as bearing as she fought back the urge to hug his hard and make sure he was alive and well with his arms around his waist and head to his beating heart.

"Fine." Light croacked, not surprised to find that his throat was almost completely dry from disuse. He wondered how long it had been since he was hit. His mom gave a little laugh that somehow turned into a quiet sob and Soichiro's arms wrapped around her as she let out her emotions all over her husband's shirt and Light felt the tingling of embarrassment begin in the back of his head like he always had whenever his parents acted in a way he disapproved of in public.

"You have no idea how worried you had us Light." Soichiro says, trying to keep his voice reproachful in attempt at a humorous joke, as if Light somehow caused himself to get hit by a motorcyclist speeding and going the wrong way and normally Light would roll his eyes and sigh, but this time he grins because it is funny as he actually was completely behind the affair down to the last detail, like a militant event planner with a passion for gore. And no one would ever know.

"Well, I'll phone ahead next time I'm about to be hit by a motorcyclist. Is he okay by the way?" Light's voice is still cracking, but he's showing good humor and memory of his accident, so his whole family, even his mother with her still teary eyes, breathes a communal sigh of relief. Light glances at Ryuk out of the sly of his eye and the Shinigami looks less than happy with the situation, as if reluctant that Light beat his toy even though he'd probably have found a way to commit suicide if Light hadn't been right and made it out of the Death Note's pages alive.

Light had a sudden urge to see his name written down on the page. Maybe he'd frame it with a custom silver frame bought from the Tiffany's store downtown that all of his friends bought their girlfriends presents from because American jewelry was big with Japanese girls like Japanese pearls were big with American women.

Maybe he'd burn it.

Light looked down and the movement hurt as though he'd fallen on his back recently. Light took that as a sign that he hadn't been out too long then and he continued his inspection, only able to feel the pain across his thighs and chest and arms and shins and stomach because he was covered in a cheap hospital sheet and a cheaper hospital gown.

He wondered if he'd been hurt long enough for his friends to raid the luxury stores across Tokyo and buy him appropriate gifts like 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and air fresheners from Isetan that would keep his room smelling like anything but iodine. He also hoped Mikami had been by and remembered that Light liked to fall asleep to a sound machine. He even had one in his guest room for Light, hopefully the man would bring it here. Or better, bring Light's from his own apartment. The best part of being friends with rich men were that even if they themselves weren't particularly thoughtful, they often kept secretaries who were and one of the things Light had not concerned himself with when he had planned out his little jaunt to the hospital to pick up a new Death Note-exempt heart was being kept in creature comforts by shows of concern from friends who wanted to visually mark out how much they cared. Each Kira member would at least put forth a small effort at Light's misfortune, meaning hundreds of AmEx black cards were seeing good use in the bright red polished manicured hands of wives, girl friends, secretaries, or even mistresses across the Shibuya district in Tokyo all for Light and his well being.

It was a nice thought.

"Sweetheart, the other man actually died. And, well…amazingly enough, if he hadn't, you wouldn't be with us. You see- your heart failed in corrective surgery and he was actually a perfect match so…" Light stopped listening, knowing the details very well seeing as he'd been the one to find the man through careful profiling by hacking into one of Kira's top members'- the owner of this very hospital, files on his laptop through the shared wireless at the Kira tomb and examining all past patients for an organ donor with no immediate family that could very quickly be approved as a match for Light in case of heart failure. Then Light had Ryuk write out his death on the operating table in the room next to Light as his brain hemorrhaged and it hadn't mattered anyways because he neck had been snapped, so they'd scooped the heart out and given it Light just as he had planned.

"You were dead for seven minutes!" Sayu's voice cut through Light's internal dialogue and he smiled at her dryly, feeling Ryuk's heavy gaze never leave his face.

"Well, I'm not dead now."

He met eyes with Ryuk and held the stare while his family expressed their gratitude that he was alive.

* * *

Light slid the towel around his hips as he walked into his bedroom, feeling the slow slide of water down his calf and making it onto his bed just before it hit his bamboo floor. L was watching him, eyes trained somewhere around Light's abs, mouth slightly open and hand sneaking down to his own crotch as he laid propped up against Light's headboard, black hair rustling against the burned patterns on the wood. Light smiled slowly before pulling his towel away to ruffle his hair dry, before stretching out on the duvet, letting the silk rub against him as L bent down and kissed him hard, Light sinking his fingertips into his lover's black hair that rubbed sneakily against his palm as he tried grab harder. His hair wouldn't be grabbed, however and Light groped a few moments more before L chuckled into his ear.

"Light, you're ruffling my feathers."

Light sat up straight in his bed, heart racing as he turned and stared at Ryuk. The shinigami's eyes were the only light in the room and they stared at him like headlights with tiny candy apples in the center and Light stared in amazement as the candy apples exploded and turned into tiny nuclear suns of shattering light and his fingers fell away from the feathers as he stared deeply and felt the brush of wind against his cheeks that he always felt with Ryuk.

"Sorry."

"What are you sorry for, Light?"

Light stared at L, shaking slightly as the paler man snaked his arm around Light's waist and pressed kisses down his neck as early morning light filtered down across his silk duvet, through barely cracked shades that also cast lines of light against the wood and gave dimension to the floating dust motes that twirled like the modern man's snowflake in the gentle current from the air conditioner.

"I…I had a dream. I was apologizing to the dream."

L smiled.

"Never apologize for dreams, Light." Light nodded.

"Want breakfast? I'm craving apple tea."

* * *

"I want you to get a good look at their faces. Don't write the names until I say." Light's latte was slightly unpleasantly hot in his hand and the weather was really too warm for the drink, but he held onto his cherished caffeine despite the thin layer of sweat building under his linen jacket from the humidity rolling off the coast as temperatures grew in Tokyo. He spoke into the lip of cup as he took a sip, the words coming out as an authoritative whisper to his Shinigami shadow. Ryuk swooped close and the brush of his feathers against Light's back sent a chill down his spine that instantly cooled him better than the fans of the hotel lobby they had just stepped into after Light officially set his last plan in motion.

"I'll do whatever you want, Light." Light nodded and moved to the elevator that would take him to L's suite, tapping his toe to the smooth techno jazz that sounded like a bookstore that would have a coffee shop that also served smoothies with tapioca pearls and would be crowded with girls in glasses that were just slightly too round to be trendy.

When he arrived at the taskforce, perfectly on time and not a moment early as usual, L was already set up in his corner like he hadn't rushed from Light's loft to the hotel not an hour before, typing viciously on the computer while a blond in sweatpants talked loudly on the phone. Matsuda was staring at the blond while all of the other officers were containing their interest to glances snuck out from behind folders while sipping coffee. The blond minded none of them, instead snapping in Russian or maybe Czech into his phone, taking brief pauses to snap bites out of a chocolate bar.

Light glanced at Ryuk. Ryuk glanced at the blond.

"Honestly L, we need to replace your team out in Siberia. Bunch of fuckwits that don't know their own dicks from their guns." L didn't stop typing as he responded.

"I'll take note of that." He murmured, biting his thumb for a moment with eyes narrowed at the screen. Light took another sip of his latte and winced as he felt the cooling cream begin to regain thickness as it slid down his throat.

"Light, please come over here and tell me what exactly I'm seeing on this screen." Light obliged, settling in with his thigh pressed against L's. He glanced over at L's screen and saw a list of companies under Kira's control along with quarterly reports cross-referenced against a list of dead politicians and corporate hot shots that had been slowly compiled by the taskforce. There were asterisks next to all of the names, one for suicide, two for accident. It was a neat sort of spreadsheet, the kind made with a computer running on its own OS and Light admired the different colored margins for a moment, lingering over the column numbers before answering.

"You're looking at a list of murders, L." L frowned, tabling between the different categories of death- none of them homicide.

"You work with very sneaky people, Light."

"L, I _bed_ very sneaky people." Soichiro coughed and L bit his lip slightly.

"Mixing business and pleasure?" Light shrugged, settling into the silk damask of the now most familiar couch.

"I tend to consider pleasure a business I'm most concerned with." The blond chuckled and Light met blue eyes as he glanced their way. The man had an attractive face, cut angularly and definitively with sloping pink lips that seemed to twitch into different expressions without consulting their owner first. Light wondered if he would have liked the man, if he wasn't imagining him dead already.

"Always the pragmatist, Light."

Ryuk laughed.

* * *

Author's Note- This is short, but halfpromise has been riding my ass for an update and I'm hoping some of those wonderful reviews you lot are known for will help pull me back into writing. I will say this- I am still writing. Not as much, I don't have as much free time or motivation, but its coming. Slowly. Next up is Tale, then I'm going to break pace and finish Russia completely before coming back to these two. And while this chapter IS short, there's a lot of meaning in between the lines here. Certain scenes are very important to the overreaching plot+ thematic purpose of this story, so yah. IDK, wonder about that?

So yah, basically send me love and I will get back to writing. No, I'm not bribing you- I'm just saying. Love makes a writer write faster. Thanks to all of you- you mean the world to me.

Peace. Love. Wordbombs.


	9. Thoughts

Disclaimer- I own nothing. Well, related to DN that is. I own some cool shit independent of that. Ask me about my vintage necklace addiction.

* * *

_All events occur in March of 2013._

* * *

"We were always going to end up here." Light sighed and rose from the couch, hands going into his pockets.

"I suppose you're right." Ryuk stared back at him as seriously as he could. Light felt a twitching rise up through his chest, responding to a rhythm set by the turning fan and clock singing together. "That doesn't make it more tasteful." There was another sound chiming into the percussion, a sort of buzzing behind Light's ears that made him turn his head slightly, even though he knew the sound was coming from inside.

"Tasteful, Light?" Light shrugged and met eyes with the white chair next to Ryuk. It had had leather covered claw feet- an unusual touch of excess. Light liked the chair very much.

"Simple would have been more appropriate." Ryuk sat down in the chair and Light's gaze, crossing extended limbs in a jester's imitation of manners.

"Nothing worth having is ever simple." Light smiled a bit.

"That's a misquote." Ryuk grinned up at Light, still sprawling out of the white fabric, like a spider creeping out a nest but uglier somehow.

"I think it's more true." Light glanced upwards, now meeting eyes with his ceiling light. It burned his eyes slightly, like any bright light does.

"Sure."

* * *

"I'm not fucking with you." L laughed and stared at Light so incredulously that Light had a sudden urge to hit him.

"Yes you are, you pretentious asshole. No one genuinely likes opera. Not even opera singers." Light rolled away from L, reaching out for his boxers stashed somewhere near the foot of the bed. "Oh come on luv, you can't run away every time I call you on your shit or we'd never do anything but have sex. Although now that I think of it…" Light rolled back on top of L and kissed him deepy, sliding fingers into dark hair and biting a now pink lip as he pulled away.

"I'm not running away, I'm getting ready for the opera. And I do like it. Genuinely. It's an excessive, self-indulgent art form that masturbates itself in front of an audience that oftentimes doesn't understand it just because they've already decided that the money they're spending on tickets is a fair price to pretend to be cultured and they're determined for it to be below their understanding threshold. Plus there's a lot of shitty puns in opera and you know I'm a fan of those." L pulled Light back in by grabbing the of his neck and pulling hard so that Light fell into the next kiss.

"I cannot believe you just gave an impressively pause less soliloquy on opera. You ass." Light just made sure to give L a long, lingering look before getting up.

"Fuck you." L laughed hard.

"Light Yagami, you are a beautiful person. Truly." Light just grinned at him, before sliding into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and sat on the side of the tub, meeting eyes with himself in the mirror as the steam slowly rose and clouded his face. Light was hit by a moment of philosophic enlightenment at the back of his mind. There was a deep significance in watching his face disappear into steam, clarity about the slow fade away into nothingness that reminded Light of the story Ryuk had once told him about a place beyond even the Shinigami's reach. The moment passed, like they usually did, and soon Light was rinsing his hair while contemplating tie choices.

"Light? Near and Mello are going to be joining us tonight. For some reason, Mello's come down all cultured and wants to see the opera. I've allowed it because it may increase the chance that you won't be annoyed by my eating cake the whole damn time. Now come out, you're clean enough." Light felt a tingle at the word Mello. He'd only known the man for a few days and yet Light felt he knew him more intimately than anyone else he'd ever known. Near, less so. Near was for later. He finished toweling his hair and came out with a smile.

"Sounds great. Now help me pick a tie."

* * *

Despite the protests and sexual favor offers during the ride over, L was side by side with Light as they slipped into the theatre, silently sailing their way through plush carpets that told a million stories in the intricate designs placed so unfortunately under their feet. He was quiet now, glancing around at the other patrons quickly as Light led the way to their private box.

"Hey boys." Mello was sitting in their box, reclining in the large chair with a glass of wine already in hand and with Near sitting next to him. Near was dressed the same as Light had ever seen him, Mello in a dark blue suit. It was a good suit for the night, not too formal. Mello had never seemed to be very formal. Light nodded at them both as Ryuk flew in behind him, settling down in the corner where the curtain to box seemed to wrap around him and pull him into shadowy places a little too far outside of Light's grasp. L sat down and Light sat down next to him.

"Hello Mello." He smiled at Light, corner of mouth pulling up at the English.

"You still liking that it rhymes then?" Light just smirked back and they settled into their seats, Light's sucking him in almost too much. The opera was a non-consequential one, the seats were half filled because it was a Thursday night and anyone worth thinking about in Light's immediate and not-as-immediate circles was down in the bars, having a final kick back for the week before the photographed events that often went on Friday and Saturday nights. Light enjoyed the music and L's fingers tracing along his wrist. Every time he glanced out the corner of his eye at the hand, he was struck with a half-memory of watching snow fall and the cold feeling was a good one so he meditated on it as he passively watched.

The humming began after the intermission. It was a soft humming, but it came from the air itself and was impossible for Light to ignore. It rose up and down with Light's breath and he strained to hear the opera over the humming as it grew louder and louder.

It stopped with a gasp.

Light glanced to his right to see Near's face cut into geometric shapes by the shadows. He turned a bit more and saw Mello's shaking body, twitching softly and jerking out in time with the music. Then the aria ended, and so did Mello. There was a moment of pause and then a baritone boomed out and L shot from his seat to Mello and words were being whispered urgently and L was shaking his head and Near's jaw was tight.

Ryuk crawled from the shadows to Light's side.

"Simple enough?"

* * *

"His medicine was wrong. His fucking medicine was fucking _wrong_!" L was pink with anger below his neck and Light tried to feel anything other than numb in response to him. Near, the partner apparent to the corpse formerly known as Mello, was sitting in a side chair silently, much the way he had all week since arriving. "How could this have happened? How the fuck? We shipped it in ourselves from bloody England and it's still managed to be tampered with? Why? Who the…." L stopped suddenly and lunged forward in a jerking motion towards his laptop, pulling it out smoothly and typing onto it furiously. "Pharmacists everywhere in Kira. Mello and Near stayed in a hotel before arriving here, there could have been a bell boy…How did they know who they were?" L's murmurs to himself grew quieter and then silent as his typing became more furious. Near was still curled up in the chair, dead eyes gazing out into the room.

Light just sank his teeth into an apple, trying to soften the crunch by slowly pressing into the fruit. It was almost like a kiss. Light looked for Ryuk to maybe share a laugh over how stupid he must look, but then remembered that the Shinigami had left a while ago in search of apples for himself. Light would have liked to leave to find food himself, but he was meant to be shocked and traumatized along with the rest of them. Apparently that left people without appetites.

"Go over it again." L said suddenly. Light knew it wasn't his question, but Near didn't answer. "Near."

"We arrived. We booked a hotel for two days per instruction. Mello spent most of the time watching whatever kind of free porn was on TV. I worked. Hotel staff came in two times a day for delivery of towels and for the serving of dinner. There were several opportunities to tamper with his medicine if they knew it existed or spied it out on a visit. There was no way to know who we were or our purpose, so motivation is an issue. That's it." Light was rather impressed with the flatness of Near's voice.

"So he was off his medication for five days at most, if they switched it on the first day during the dinner delivery…" L bit his thumb hard and Light felt a tightening in his pants. Though it was hardly the appropriate reaction, Light forgave himself for it. His body knew only sex and food past 3am.

"Is that long enough for his seizures to trigger, L? It seems so short." L glanced over at Light, and Light saw his face soften slightly.

"According to several websites I've just had to search, it is possible- though very unlikely. Mello hasn't had an episode since early adolescence, but he was hardly at the age to have outgrown them. Bastards." The last word was spat out slightly faster than the rest, and Light looked appropriately sympathetic.

"Is it possible whatever they put into his medicine could cause a seizure?" L shrugged and pulled a knee in close.

"Very. We'll know when the toxicology reports come in. There's only one certainty in this whole thing right now." Light knew he had to ask.

"What is that exactly?" L looked at Near.

"We are going to tear down Kira."

* * *

**Author's Note**- Why is ffn so shitty now? Is it just me? Whatever. I'm back. Review. This chapter was mostly so halfpromise would get off my ass, but I guess you can see why I put it off so long. I cried when I killed Mello. Not really, because I'm Light-level biotchy, but I did tear up. Sorry guyz. Also, I know it's short. I work 30 hour weeks, put in 2 hr work outs a day and manage to talk to HP all day plus a full semester load. I have no time, is my point. So things will be short for a while. Anyways, wordbombs is back yo!

Read, review, revere.

Peace, love, wordbombs.


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